


Within Lurid Lands

by Shergar



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Alec is sort of dumb, Angel Alec Lightwood, Archangels, BAMF Alec Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, Blood and Injury, But he's trying, Child Abuse, Child Death, Child Neglect, Corpses, Death, Discrimination Against Downworlders, Guild Hunters AU that no one asked for, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Immortal Alec Lightwood, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Needs A Hug, Magnus just wants a nap, Mentions of Dehyrdation, Mentions of Malnourishment, Mentions of neglect, Murder, Wingfic, happy ending I promise, magnus bane and the terrible horrible no good very bad life, mentions of abuse, mentions of blood loss, murder is talked about
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 35,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26455750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shergar/pseuds/Shergar
Summary: There's a new Archangel of New York. Magnus has yet to meet him but the Angels are all the same.  ‘Fix the wards, Magnus’, ‘Heal our injured, Magnus’, ‘Stay far away from us until we summon you, Magnus.’He doesn't expect Alexander Lightwood to be any different.(The Guild Hunters AU that absolutely no one asked for.)
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 169
Kudos: 458





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything substantial in years so I apologize for any mistakes. 
> 
> No one asked for this Guild Hunters AU but honestly, the two worlds work pretty well together. The Guild Hunters books are written by Nalini Singh and you should check them out!
> 
> Title is from taken from Barns Courtney's Babylon which I played way too many times while writing this.

Another day, another mutiny. Magnus resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the news that Maryse and Robert had been overthrown and were no longer the Archangels of New York. Robert, who had been less and less sane in his old age, was dead and Maryse was in the wind. He wasn’t sure who the new Archangel of New York was. Sure, he’d seen proof of the airborne battle from his loft in Brooklyn. Hell, all of New York had seen the lighting and thunder and flashes of color and power.

Magnus made a point to stay out of Angel business as much as he could. Robert and Maryse had held his Contract, sure, but to them he had never been more than a convenient servant. ‘Fix the wards, Magnus’, ‘Heal our injured, Magnus’, ‘Stay far away from us until we summon you, Magnus.’ He was perfectly fine with that arrangement.There had been others in the past who had demanded much, much more of him. The Archangels of New York may not have been able to see past his Downworlder status but they had at least given him the chance to live his own life.

The Angels had ruled since the beginning - looking out not only for their own kind but for the Mundanes who nearly worshipped them and the Downworlders both born and created. The process to become a wolf or a vampire was handled by the Angels. Candidates would submit themselves for consideration and every so often a select few would make the change. They’d be sworn to 200 years in service to their Angel and then they would get their freedom. They were lucky. Magnus would never get that opportunity. 

Warlocks, and by some extension the Seelies, were the descendants of Angels that had been driven mad by time and had Fallen. The Clave considered their blood to be tainted and their actions were not to be trusted. Most Warlocks only had to suffer through mild Clave supervision - annual check-ins to make sure they weren’t doing anything nefarious. Magnus, however, had it much worse. He wasn’t a distant descendant of a Fallen Angel - his father was one. He’d been wrestled into this sham of a contract at a young age, the Clave having decided that he needed much more direct supervision. He was, in essence, owned by the New York Institute. 

And now there was a new Archangel of New York. An unknown player on the board. Magnus had spent very little time at the New York Institute but like most New Yorkers, he could recognize the Angels by their wings, even if he didn’t know them by face. He had no idea who could have usurped control from the Archangels who had ruled not only New York, but the Americas, for hundreds of years but he knew he would find out soon enough. His contract was held by the New York Institute, after all. The magic that bound him would call out to his new owner soon enough. 

He continued seeing his clients for the rest of the day. There was no reason for him to change his schedule. Everything would happen in time.And so the day passed, then two, then three. Magnus continued his normal routine, perhaps staying slightly more busy than normal to keep his mind off what was to come. 

On the eve of the third day, a knock sounded at his door causing him to frown. His wards hadn’t given any warning and he was done seeing clients for the day. While it wasn’t unheard of for someone to visit him after hours, they at least usually had the decency to call ahead. He opened the door with a witty remark on his lips only to be frozen by the sight in front of him. In the doorway stood an Angel with messy black hair and blue eyes. His wings were folded tightly against his back to accommodate for the tight space but Magnus could still see they were a shade of black so dark they seemed to drink in the shadows around them and tipped in silver.

“Magnus Bane?” He heard a voice ask as he continued to admire the sight in front of him. He had no idea who this angel was. He must be new to the city because sure Magnus would have heard about wings like _those._ The Angel cleared his throat and Magnus blinked rapidly a few times. Maybe he had been staring just a little. 

“Okay, I’m back.” He managed, bringing his attention back to the man’s face.

“Magnus Bane, I presume?”

“The one and only. And you are…?” He pried, stepping out of the doorway and allowing the angel access to his loft. The man took a few tentative steps insiding, pausing once inside to take in his surroundings. Much like Magnus himself, his loft showed an eclectic taste for the finer things life had to offer. The warlock had lived a long and colorful life. There were bits of his past tucked away in alcoves or displayed on walls. The other man’s eyes lingered on the bookshelf near the door before turning back to Magnus. 

“Alexander Lightwood. Alec. I’m the new head of the New York Institute.” Magnus felt his heart freeze and he grasped the whiskey glass in his hand tighter to keep from dropping it. Head of the New York Institute could only mean one thing...this was the new Archangel of New York. Not only that, he was a Lightwood. That meant he was the son of Maryse and Robert. How was it that Magnus hadn’t even heard of him? Sure, he may not know them personally but he could at least recognize Isabelle and Jace. 

He must have been silent longer than he thought as Alec, Alexander, cleared his throat again. “I was cleaning out my parents office and I came across your contract...if you can really call it that. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry the Clave put you in that position and I’m sorry for whatever role my parents played. That is not how I intend to lead.”

“You don’t… it’s not your fault. You didn’t write it. You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” Magnus furrowed his brow. What was even going on right now? When was the last time an Angel had been sorry for how a Warlock was treated?

“I have every right to be sorry for how my people have treated you and yours. I’d like to do what I can to rectify the situation starting with our partnership. Would you be free tomorrow to stop by the Institute and renew the wards? They were weakened with the recent transfer of power. You will, of course, be paid for your time and the service you’re providing.”

Magnus blinked. They were going to PAY him? The Angels never paid him. His contract stated he was there to provide his services as necessary. They were not required to offer any sort of compensation for doing what they considered to be his sole purpose. “I can shift some of my appointments around and be there tomorrow morning. Does 10 AM work for you?” He asked after a moment, downing the rest of his whiskey and setting the empty glass on an end table. 

“It’s perfect. I’ll let my people know to expect you.” Alec said with a smile that sent a shiver down Magnus’ spine. The angel held out his hand and Magnus didn’t hesitate to take it. “I will see you tomorrow, Magnus Bane.” Alec let himself out, leaving the Warlock standing in his living room in a state of confusion. He wasn’t sure what had just happened nor did he want to get his hopes up that things would be different for once but maybe, just maybe, Alexander Lightwood wouldn’t be so bad.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They ate in silence for a few moments, Magnus cautiously taking bite after bite. There had to be something more going on here. No one was this nice, especially not to him. Alec raised his cup of coffee to his lips and paused. “You don’t seem very afraid.”
> 
> “Yeah, well, you don’t seem very frightening.” Magnus snapped, all the tension that had been building leaving in a single terse comment that he had been unable to stop. This was it. The Archangel was surely going to kill him for his insubordination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I haven't written anything in years so I apologize as I get back into the swing of things.

Magnus arrived at the institute the next day with ten minutes to spare. He hadn’t been able to sleep last night and had instead spent the time tidying his apothecary to keep his hands busy and his mind off whatever Alexander Lightwood could possibly want with him.

As always, Magnus used his clothing as his armor, locking away his insecurities behind glitter and gold and today was no exception. His black velvet jacket had a gold floral pattern woven into it. The rest of his ensemble was black - his shirt with a few buttons open and his shoes with probably a bit more heel than was necessary. If his jewelry was a little more eye-catching than normal and his eye shadow a little more exaggerated, well, no one would know but him.

A rustle above caught his attention and he took a step back as Jace landed gracefully in front of him. “Magnus Bane? Alec asked me to escort you upstairs. He didn’t want any trouble from those who seem to be taking his ascension personally.” While Jace’s golden wings were slightly more muted than the gold in Magnus’ jacket, they were a nice change of pace from the sea of black and grey he typically associated with the New York Institute.

Jace, like Magnus, couldn’t help but stand out. He was the golden boy with golden wings that the city of New York had come to idolize. Magnus had watched Mundanes linger around the gates of the Institute just hoping to get a glance of him flying in and possibly, if they were really lucky, find one of his fallen feathers. Up close, Jace was just breathtaking as everyone said he was and he carried himself like he knew it too. He wasn’t, however, anywhere close to Magnus’ type. That was reserved for another Angel at the Institute and the warlock did not even want to begin thinking about the implications of that.

“I have been to the Head’s office before.” Magnus muttered, following Jace inside the building and feeling the familiar buzz as his wards shifted around him. The previous Archangels of New York had asked him to ward the building to allow in only the Angels and the designated Downworlders under their command. They never specified whether or not that included him and Magnus hadn’t asked. His magic would always accommodate him.

Jace grimaced as he held the elevator open for Magnus. He didn’t need to take the mundane route to the top of the tower but he was apparently going to do it for Magnus’ benefit. “There are some who aren’t happy with Maryse and Robert losing control of the territory. Even fewer who are actually happy with the changes Alec has been making. He’s young, for an archangel. Probably the youngest and if there is one thing old Angels are known for its’ being stuck in their ways.”

Magnus didn’t know a lot about the Angels. His knowledge was mostly limited to what the Mundanes knew through gossip. Unlike the wolves and the vampires, he wasn’t privy to being considered a friend or colleague. The Archangels were said to be the oldest and most powerful of the Angels. If Alexander was the youngest of them, what did that say about him? And where had he been if he hadn’t been in New York?

They rode in silence to the top floor of the Institute. The Angel ushered him through the door to his right, leaving him alone in a room which was very much not the Head’s office and appeared to be a parlor with big bay windows and the landing pad the Angels used when they entered from the sky. Magnus looked around, wondering if he should sit, when a glint from the window caught his eye. Alec had landed on the opposite end of the patio, clearly just off a workout if the hint of sweat was anything to go by.

Today, the angel was dressed more casually than he had been when he had visited Magnus yesterday. He wore flowing black pants and an odd sort of vest that Magnus could see buttoned down his side to account for the wings which the warlock couldn’t help but observe somehow seemed even darker against the bright morning sky. He noticed the other man through the window and grinned, waving him out to the patio.

The warlock took a few tentative steps forward, pausing a moment with his hand on the handle of the door. Could this be some sort of set up? When had an Angel, let alone an Archangel ever cared about how a Warlock felt? When had they ever shown Magnus himself any semblance of kindness? In his experience, they believed he was there to serve. No more, no less.

“I’m so glad you could join me, Magnus. Breakfast?” Alec asked, gesturing towards a small table off to the side that the Warlock hadn’t noticed before.

“I thought I was here to fix the wards?”

“You are but I thought we could have breakfast as well. My parents weren’t really the hospitable sort and I like to at the very least know the people I have working for me.”

Magnus bit back a comment about how Alec didn’t need to get to know him. He wasn’t there for niceties. If Alec gave an order, Magnus would need to comply as the terms of the contract stated he must.

Alec sighed and took his seat at the small table, his wings relaxed. “Please, Magnus. I am not my parents. I know that my kind hasn’t been the most compassionate towards your people nor have we treated you yourself anywhere close to right. That is not what I believe in and like I said yesterday, I would like to try to start making amends if you will let me. Now, please. Will you join me for breakfast?”

Magnus sat, well aware of exactly how Alexander had phrased his request. Not a direct order, no. Not one that would have to be followed without question by the terms of the contract but an order nonetheless. The food in front of them was decadent and more than enough for the two of them to say the least. There wasn’t a breakfast food the warlock could imagine that wasn’t on the table - pancakes, waffles, sausages, muffins, eggs, bacon, and it went on and on and on.

They ate in silence for a few moments, Magnus cautiously taking bite after bite. There had to be something more going on here. No one was this nice, especially not to him. Alec raised his cup of coffee to his lips and paused. “You don’t seem very afraid.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t seem very frightening.” Magnus snapped, all the tension that had been building leaving in a single terse comment that he had been unable to stop. This was it. The Archangel was surely going to kill him for his insubordination. There were stories about what Archangels did to those that displeased them. Magnus had even witnessed one horrific event where Robert had left a very disfigured, nearly dead vampire in public view in Central Park simply because the other man hadn’t said thank you.

Truth be told, Magnus was terrified. He might be immortal but there was nothing from stopping Alexander from turning him into a pile of dust right here if he so desired.The Archangels had that sort of power...and then some.

Instead, Alec laughed and the warlock froze. “Relax, Magnus. It’s just nice to have someone not afraid to speak his mind. Most don’t around me. If I were going to kill you, we wouldn’t be having breakfast.” He paused, a small frown on his face. “Brunch? Honestly, I can never tell which one it should be. That’s more of my sister’s thing.” Alec could see he wasn’t doing anything to convince the other man that his intentions were pure. Magnus had not been treated kindly by his people in his many years and it would take more than one breakfast and actually paying him for the work he did to get over that.

He sighed. “Look, we’re going to finish breakfast. We can do so in silence, if you wish. I won’t force you into a conversation if you’re uncomfortable. Once we’re done, Jace will come back up to show you the places we feel the wards are weakest. I’m sure you can already feel the damage from the battle. And then, maybe, _maybe_ , if you’re willing to hear me out, I’d like to hire you for a more personal job. One that you are able to say no to if you don’t want to take it on. Does that sound alright with you?”

Magnus took a breath and nodded, picking his fork back up to take a bite of the pancakes that had been placed in front of him. Trust had never been something that came easily to him and with each and every betrayal he’d experienced in his long life, he’d locked more and more of himself away. But Alec seemed different, somehow. The laugh and smile he got when he snapped back was something Magnus wanted desperately to see again. A little warmth in a sea of ice, if you will. If the Archangel seemed even remotely interested in trying to make things right, well, Magnus figured it was only fair to give him a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious, this is the jacket Magnus is wearing: https://tinyurl.com/yy6ybom7  
> A bit over the top for breakfast, but that's Magnus for you. 
> 
> And why yes, I did hide another Barns Courtney reference in there so today's chapter brought to you by the song Glitter and Gold. 
> 
> Also, that is totally a Sherlock quote but I couldn't imagine not putting it in because it seemed too fitting.
> 
> I know Magnus is a big ball of nerves right now but he's got some stuff to work through before he goes back to being a rockstar.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace returned to him as he was finishing up in the Ops room with a glass of juice and a sandwich. Magnus raised his eyebrow in question and the angel laughed. “Alec’s orders. He might sometimes forget to take care of himself but he always looks after his people. That includes you now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me! We're getting there.

Fixing the wards took Magnus a few hours. The archangelic power had ripped them apart in ways the warlock hadn’t seen before. Some parts of the spell were missing completely, others had been shredded almost beyond repair and still some only had the tiniest little spec of magic missing. He would have loved to have seen the battle that caused this much damage to his wards, for research purposes of course, but knew being that close to that much angelic power likely would have killed him.

Jace returned to him as he was finishing up in the Ops room with a glass of juice and a sandwich. Magnus raised his eyebrow in question and the angel laughed. “Alec’s orders. He might sometimes forget to take care of himself but he always looks after his people. That includes you now. Take a few minutes and catch your breath and eat. It looks like you could use a break. I’ll take you to him when you’re done.” He ushered the warlock to a nearly hidden alcove off to the right and left him. 

Magnus looked around for a moment, taking it in. He’d never noticed it in his previous visits to the Institute, not that he’d been looking that closely. Every time he’d been here before his aim was always to get in and out as quickly as possible. It was...cozy. Well, as cozy as a little nook off a busy room could be. The little room itself was hidden from the door. There was a small table, a chair and a shelf with a few books that looked like they were there for decor more than anything else. It was obviously something that one of the Institute residents had put in place if they needed to step away for a second and compose themselves. 

Magnus took a seat at the table and realized for the first time just how tired he was. Between not sleeping the previous night and the strenuous wards repair, his energy reserves were lower than they had been in a while. If he were at his loft, he’d conjure himself some steak and vodka and then sleep for the next day. But here he was, sitting alone in a quiet room with a sandwich and juice to recoup enough of his spent energy that he could finish his meeting with Alexander and portal himself home because the Archangel was trying to look after him. That was a very odd feeling indeed and Magnus wasn’t sure he wanted to let himself look too much into it. 

He finished his meal quickly, not knowing when Jace would return, and closed his eyes, taking a moment to ground himself and tuck the remainder of his power back in where it needed to go. Five minutes later, he heard a knock on the door frame and opened his eyes. The golden winged angel had returned and gave him a small smile. “Ready? I’m to take you to the Head’s office this time.”

“Thank you,” Magnus said, this time following Jace without complaint. They left the Ops room and weaved a familiar path through the back halls. He noticed the guarded glances the two of them received as they made their way to Alec’s office. Jace had not been exaggerating when he mentioned there was some dissension in the ranks. Finally, after what seemed like ages (though Magnus knew in reality was no more than two minutes,) the angel stopped and knocked on a door he knew well from his previous visits. 

“Come in.” Jace twisted the knob and pushed the door open, waving him inside. The office looked completely different than what he was used to with Robert and Maryse. Gone was the almost clinical decor and in its place was wood floors, antique furniture and a warm and inviting environment. Alec smiled, noticing the way Magnus took it all in and gestured for him to sit. “I’m sure you can tell we did some redecorating. All the white and grey… it wasn’t really my style. If I’m going to spend most of my day here, I’d like to at least feel at home.”

“It’s nice.” Magnus found himself saying, taking the seat that Alec had gestured to. He turned his attention to the Archangel and found himself almost sad to see that the other man had changed. Instead of the casual workout clothes (that Magnus was sure he’d see in his dreams) from this morning, he was dressed in a sharp black suit. This, like his vest, buttoned down the side to accommodate for his wings and the warlock realized that was an aspect of being an Angel he hadn’t really considered before. Lillith, that must be a  _ pain. _

“Thank you for your work on the wards. I can feel they are much more stable now and perhaps even a little stronger than when I got here?” Alec asked with a raised eyebrow, not expecting an answer in return. Magnus wouldn’t deny it - the previous Archangel had never really given him the time nor the desire to do the job the way the warlock would like it done. “I hope this covers your normal fees and then some. I realize the Institute isn’t exactly standard.” He continued, offering Magnus a check.

Magnus took the slip of paper and quickly masked the shock on his face. The amount Alec was giving him was far more than triple his normal rates. “Uh...yes. Thank you.” He was normally a man of many words but for what he was sure would not be the last time today, he was once again speechless. 

“Now, earlier I mentioned another job if you were interested. Would you be willing to at least hear me out?”

“Of course.” Magnus found himself saying quickly.

Alec smiled, but chose not to acknowledge how fast the other man’s response was. “You’ll have to excuse me if my questions seem ignorant. I grew up in Alicante and while I may be old, I didn’t spend a lot of time around warlocks.” Magnus had of course heard of the Angel’s sanctuary but no one knew much about it. Children were rare for the Angels and war was common. They preferred to raise their fledglings in a common safe space until the young ones had grown.

“I’ve heard that Warlock tracking is the most accurate, is that correct?”

Magnus cocked his head and considered the question. He would, personally, assume that the Archangels could track anyone but if that wasn’t the case…”I would hazard that the way we track works differently than how you can track. It might not be the most powerful or accurate, it’s just...a different set of rules.”

Alec seemed to consider that for a moment. “Do you want me to track a vampire or a wolf who has run from their contract?”

The Angel shook his head. “No, we’ve got hunters for that, don’t we?”

“I would assume that you don’t want me to track a mundane. You want me to track...an Angel?”

“Could you?” Alec asked, getting up and walking to a bookcase across the room. Apart from the books, there were a few odds and ends on the shelves. One of those was a feather, a deep bronze color that Magnus couldn’t associate with any of the Angels he knew. The Archangel offered him the feather and Magnus had no choice but to take it. “I hear Warlocks are the finest at tracking and of them you are the best, Magnus Bane. Just how good are you?”

He considered the feather for a moment, feeling the jolt of power it sent through his body. It wasn’t the right color but he knew that somehow, this one belonged to an Angel he was becoming accustomed to. “Jace is downstairs in the Ops center. He seems almost a bit stressed so he’s either worried for you or, more likely, about to send a recon group out into the city. I heard mention of more demon activity than normal while I was fixing the wards.”

The Angel said nothing for a moment before taking a deep breath and turning his attention back to Magnus. “Could you track an Archangel?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never tried.”

“You can track Jace. He’s close, not quite an Archangel but he’s likely going to ascend in the next hundred years or so. If you had the right link, could you track me?”

Could he? The tracking he normally did was for a lost pet or a runaway teen. Could he track an Archangel? Alec reached behind him and plucked a loose feather, offering it to him the same way he’d given him Jace’s.

Magnus took the black and silver feather and closed his eyes. He knew where Alec was, obviously, but what did his magic have to say? Alec was close, there was no doubt about that, but he could also tell he was on edge and...nervous? There was more going on than the Angel was letting on and somehow, Magnus knew that this was a test. He didn’t think Alec was out to catch him in a trap so he genuinely believed the Archangel needed his help.

He handed the man back the two feathers in his hand. “I think I could, in the right circumstances. Why?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No soundtrack this time as I was mostly at work when I wrote it but hey! I did an outline and that gave me another chapter so soon.
> 
> I'm trying to keep the two stories as in line as possible so...we'll see.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I thought this job was for you?” He asked after a moment, aware that Alec’s eyes hadn’t left him. 
> 
> “I’m the one asking. Don’t forget, I’m asking, and you will be paid if you accept. You are more than welcome to say no. I’m asking because your contract belongs to me, however, the Cadre as a whole has a need for your services.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins.

“What I’m about to tell you is more than we typically share with non-Angels.” Alec said after a moment, walking around to the front of his desk and perching on the edge. His wings rustling behind him to accommodate for his new position. He was sitting with his back to the massive bay window, the afternoon sun shining behind him and forming an image Magnus was sure would be with him for the rest of his life. 

The angel was silhouetted in front of him, the light from the window catching on the silver tips of his feathers and making them look like they were glowing.His wings were spread, but relaxed, and held just a few inches off the floor. His suit fit him perfectly and left absolutely nothing to imagination. Magnus took a deep breath and had to remind himself that the man in front of him could kill him any second now. He was here in a professional manner and needed to behave himself. This was not Pandemonium. 

“The Cadre has given me permission to tell you at least this much so that you know what it is you might be undertaking. If you take the job, I can likely share a little more in hopes it helps you complete it quickly and cleanly. Time is sort of the essence with this one, unfortunately.” Wait, the Cadre? Magnus froze, hoping he just hadn’t heard Alec right. 

The Cadre of Ten were the ruling elite - the ten Archangels who ruled the world and held unimaginable power. Each angel and member of the Downworld ultimately answered to one of them. They spread their territories out to help ease the strain of near constant struggles for power and tried to stay out of each other’s way. Magnus knew little of the other Archangels. He could recite maybe a few by name and their territories but he certainly couldn’t list all ten.

“I thought this job was for you?” He asked after a moment, aware that Alec’s eyes hadn’t left him. 

“I’m the one asking. Don’t forget, I’m asking, and you will be paid if you accept. You are more than welcome to say no. I’m asking because your contract belongs to me, however, the Cadre as a whole has a need for your services.”

“What would you have me do?”

This time, Alec sighed and pushed himself off the desk, moving to stand in front of the window with his back to Magnus in what the warlock could only assume was an odd display of trust. “Have you seen a vampire in bloodlust?” Magnus nodded, knowing that the Archangel couldn’t see his response. “What the Downworld and the Mundanes don’t know is it is possible for an angel, even an Archangel, to enter a similar state. We call it being Bloodborn.”

Magnus held his breath, his hand tightening on the arm of the chair. The sheer gravity of even that single tidbit of information was enough for the warlock to realize just how serious the situation must be. Why else would the Archangel be sharing one of the weaknesses of his kind with a lesser being?

“When an angel becomes Bloodborn, they fall to madness. It starts slowly at first, much in the way my father was going. Eventually, they start feeding off blood. It can be the blood of angels, Downworlders, Mundanes...nothing is off limits to them but the hunger keeps growing and the need is not enough. That need can turn into the deaths of thousands in an attempt to appease their thirst. Typically, they’re dispatched quietly before they even begin drinking blood. Sometimes… we are not so lucky.”

He turned back to Magnus with an uncharacteristic coldness in his eyes. “The information I’ve already given you is enough to condemn you to death if it got out. What I’m about to say, would assure that your death would not be swift. This is for your ears alone. I’m trusting you to keep this quiet. You intrigue me - I’d hate to have to end your life after so much unpleasantness. You deserve a chance at happiness.”

They were quiet for a moment, neither wanting to ruin the moment, confusing as it may be. Alec’s threat hung in the air and Magnus knew he wouldn’t hesitate to act on it if necessary but he had also expressed concern… and interest in the Warlock? What was even going on here?

Alec cleared his throat and continued with his explanation. “There is evidence that the archangel Malachai has started down the path that would lead him to becoming Bloodborn. He cut off contact with the Cadre and locked himself inside his territory over these last few months. A few days ago, he fled Europe. His staff was found slaughtered. We’ve collected samples of his blood from the scene and it is showing signs of the poison that leads to the bloodlust.”

Magnus had to force himself to breath as he realized exactly what Alexander wanted from him. “He is still sane enough to hide his presence from us so we have been unable to find him. We need your help in tracking Malachai so that I can dispatch him before he crosses the final line.” They wanted him to find an angel. Not only that, they wanted him to find an Archangel and one that had gone mad to boot. “I’d like to remind you that you have every right to say no. I’m not ordering you, Magnus. I’m asking.”

“If I say no?”

“Then you will go home and the Cadre will attempt to track Malachai through other means.”

There was silence as Magnus considered the job. It was incredibly dangerous, there was no doubt about that. If the Cadre believed that the warlock was their best option at finding him, they must have exhausted all other outlets. Magnus had seen vampires in bloodlust before. They cared about nothing and their thirst was insatiable. They would continue to kill until they were stopped. Now there was an Archangel who was in the same state and the thought of that was just terrifying. 

Magnus knew that as the High Warlock of Brooklyn he had a duty to take care of those around him but this would be more than just doing his duty. This could potentially be saving the world. 

“I’ll do it.”

Alec grinned and extended his hand. “Perfect. Thank you for your assistance, Magnus. I have some details to clear up with the Cadre first but I will be in touch. Jace will show you out.” The door opened as if on queue, revealing the aforementioned Angel. The Warlock followed him out the door, shooting one last look behind him. Alec had opened a door Magnus hadn’t noticed before and walked out onto an outside platform. He seemed to pause for a moment, quieting his thoughts, before taking off into the skies. 

When Magnus got home, he wasn’t surprised to find that his phone had rung almost the instant he’d walked in the door. “I still don’t know how you do that,” he muttered into the device instead of a greeting. “I haven’t even made it past the foyer yet.”

Catarina laughed. “And as I keep telling you, there’s no secret. I’ve just known you for far too many years, Magnus. Now, what did the pretty Archangel want with you? I hear you wore one of your gold jackets. Trying to make a statement, were you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. But Cat… I can’t tell you. He made it very, very clear what would happen to me if I did and somehow I have a feeling that would also include you.”

“Are you in danger?”

“No more than usual but please, Cat. Stay out of it. Think of Madzie. If there is something I think you can help with, you know I’ll be the first to ask but I don’t want to be the one responsible for Madzie losing another person in her life.”

“Just keep me in the loop as much as you can, Magnus. Madzie losing another person in her life extends to you too.”

******************************************************

Alec landed silently outside the vineyard and made his way into the hall where what remained of the Cadre had gathered. “It is done. Magnus will take the job.”

The Cadre met in person rarely, usually staying well out of each other’s way to avoid any conflict. “We will need to replace Malachai.” Jocelyn stated, voicing what they all knew to be true. There must always be a Cadre and they’d found over the years that 10 was the most balanced number. They could flex a little, but too much led to fighting and distrust. 

“Not yet. Not until after the deed is done. Maybe there is still some hope for him.” Alec turned his attention to Imogen but Jia had already stepped up. 

“We all know it is too late for him. We’ve sent his blood to the Silent Brothers and they’ve confirmed that the poison has spread too far. He cannot be left to indulge in his new hobbies. If the Mundanes and the Downworld ever discover… they would fear us as monsters.”

“They already do,” Valentine said. “To hold power, we’ve all had to become a little bit of a monster.”

Valentine was one of the oldest among them, having seen millenia to some of the others mere hundreds of years. Sometimes the older Archangels had a very backwards way of looking at this but in this instance, Alec had to agree with him. He was a much different angel now then he was 100 years ago. 

“He will still need to be dispatched by an Archangel. I will work with Magnus to track him down and do the job myself if we are all in agreement.” One by one, they agreed, taking their leave shortly after. Alec hesitated, taking one last look around the now empty room. How had they not noticed the other archangel slipping into madness? How had they not noticed it had been far too long since he’d last purged? Could they have prevented this had they kept in closer contact with one another?

He sighed, stepping outside and taking off into the night sky. They could not change the past, only protect the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bit at the end about being a monster is taken from Angel's Blood - the first book in the Guildhunters series. It seemed very fitting so I wanted to make sure I included it.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec watched silently as Izzy cycled through the recruits, correcting a form here or changing a hand hold there. His sister was incredibly skilled and, if they left Angelic power at the door, she could without a doubt put him on the mat. When she shifted ever so slightly, Alec quietly slipped a knife out of his boot and threw it at her back. 
> 
> Without missing a beat, she whirled around and caught the blade mid-air, raising an eyebrow as Alec stepped from the shadows. “I was wondering how long you were going to stand there. It was starting to get a little creepy.”

When Alec got back to the Institute, he went to seek out his sister, knowing without a doubt that he would find her in the Training Room. As his Weapons Master, it was her job to put the Institute’s new recruits through their paces and ensure that they had the necessary skills to keep his city safe from demon attacks, territory disputes and whatever else Fate found necessary to throw their way.

Alec smiled as he quietly opened the doors and slipped inside. Izzy was in her element here, there was no denying that. A group of young angels, just out of the Refuge this year, formed a circle around her and two of their own as she slowly walked them through a defensive maneuver. Alec watched for a few minutes, sinking into the shadows like he had so many times before, using the absolute darkness of his wings to his advantage.

Alec had been Spymaster for his parents, using his ability to keep to the shadows and remain unseen to learn the secrets that the other Archangels wished to keep quiet. He also helped plant rumors about his parents actions, and later the sanity of his Father, to keep the New York Institute at the height of its power. It was entirely through his work and his network of spies in other courts, that his parents had remained unchallenged for as long as they had. 

Eventually, though, even he could tell that Robert’s condition was deteriorating too quickly. He was on the cusp of going mad the way so many of the older angels did. If Alec was going to keep his siblings and his city safe, he was going to have to do something about it...and soon. He kept his ear to the ground and his fingers crossed, hoping that one of the other Archangels would grow weary of their own territory and seek an expansion.

What he never imagined is that he would be the one to get the opportunity. 

All of his life, he’d hidden in the shadows, content to let his siblings take the limelight. It had worked well enough for him, Jace and Izzy had more outgoing personalities and were better suited to being in the public. His parents had always pushed him harder, trained him longer, preparing him to become some other Archangel’s second somewhere down the line. His job, as the oldest child, was to make sure their family remained in good standing. 

He had flown in one rare morning, normally choosing to make his visits under the cover of darkness, to personally deliver the latest whispers about Valentine’s missing daughter. His parents had met him on the balcony, listening to his report with near boredom until he had reached the news that he had only trusted himself to deliver. 

“Some of Valentine’s older wolves and vampires have gone missing as of late. The official word is that they’ve been drafted into his service and are working abroad for him but many of them seemingly left taking nothing with them and leaving their families with nothing but silence. His people, while not openly saying it out of fear of it getting back to Valentine, don’t believe this to be the case. There are rumors that these disappearances are linked to his daughter’s and that she is alive but being hidden somewhere outside of his territory.”

This news seemingly didn’t sit well with his father, who began to panic. The Archangel seemed to be sure that Valentine was coming for them next. He spent the next few minutes working himself into a frenzy, despite Maryse’s best attempts to calm him. She dismissed Alec with a snappy comment and did her best to usher Robert inside. The younger angel watched them go until the door to the office was shut and locked behind them before he took to the skies, intending to make his way to the apartment that he secretly kept in the city to get a night of good rest before heading back to quietly slip into Aldertree’s territory tomorrow. 

He’d only been in the sky for mere minutes before he felt an unnatural gathering of power around him. It came quickly and he barely had a chance to think that something was wrong before he felt his body erupt with the raw energy that was now coursing through his being. When Jace had asked him later, Alec said that the only memory he had was pain and light and a sensation of unfathomable darkness. 

What he couldn’t remember had been recounted to him more than a dozen times. He had been engulfed in a light nearly as bright as the sun. It had pulsed for a few moments before exploding and rippling it’s way across the globe. As the light began to fade, reports began coming in that the waters of the world had turned the brightest blue. The effect had lasted a few days before disappearing just as quickly as it had come. Only those close to him knew that the shade of blue in the water had been the same color as Alec’s eyes. 

Ascension did not happen to every angel and certainly not to one as young as him. He was hundreds of years younger than the last Archangel to rise had been when she had risen to power. And he had ascended to join the ranks of the Archangels, his body accepting the power that would have killed him had he not been meant for it, during a time when there was a full Cadre of Ten and no more Archangels were needed. 

The next few days had been tense. Alec’s siblings never left his side as he became accustomed to the raw power he now had. Robert eventually snapped, losing what grasp on sanity he had left. He was convinced that his son’s ascension had been nothing more than a ploy to take over his territory, trying to convince Maryse that they needed to do something about Alec before he made his move. 

It was a mere three days after Alec had become an Archangel when Robert attacked him in the skies over New York City. The fight was long and bloody, as fights between Archangel’s tended to be. His mother had joined in and while 2 against 1 wasn’t fair odds, Robert was certainly not at his best. Alec took the fight higher and higher above the city, trying to spare the innocent people below from the shockwaves of power he knew was radiating off the fight. 

The rest of the battle took place above the clouds, Alec thankful that the city of New York was spared from the more gruesome details. It seemed to go on for hours, the only signs from down below of the continued fight the occasional thunder and lightning strikes. The city of New York held its breath until finally one last burst of angelic fire and the silence. 

Robert’s life had come to an end on the brink of his madness and Maryse had taken off - Alec’s people told him she had not returned to Central America and her second, an angel named Hodge who Alec had been quite close to after moving from Alicante, had been quietly ruling in her stead.

The couple of days after that were a whirlwind - it had nearly a thousand years since an Archangel had taken control from another, instead of just fulfilling a vacant position. There were those who weren’t happy with Alec’s new leadership and he couldn’t blame them. He was Maryse and Robert’s forgotten child - the one who had ceased to exist outside of whispers and shadows. It had served him well as Spymaster but now, it was only causing him trouble. 

Alec watched silently as Izzy cycled through the recruits, correcting a form here or changing a hand hold there. His sister was incredibly skilled and, if they left Angelic power at the door, she could without a doubt put him on the mat. When she shifted ever so slightly, Alec quietly slipped a knife out of his boot and threw it at her back. 

Without missing a beat, she whirled around and caught the blade mid-air, raising an eyebrow as Alec stepped from the shadows. “I was wondering how long you were going to stand there. It was starting to get a little creepy.”

Alec smiled, making a point not to display the cold persona so many Archangels were known for. “I just wanted to make sure you were still on your game. I wouldn’t want you to get soft.”

“I think they can attest that I have not gotten soft,” she replied, jerking a thumb at the group of quiet and slightly shaken young angels behind her. “Speaking of which, class dismissed. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Her students filed out, leaving the two Lightwoods in the training room alone. Izzy took a minute to stretch, her scarlet wings opening opening to their full span before settling back down. She gestured toward a rack of staves in lieu of the question they both knew didn’t need to be asked. Alec grabbed two, throwing one to his sister, before settling back down into a familiar stance. He might be Archangel now but he was first and foremost a warrior.

“How did things go with the warlock?” Izzy asked, as the two slowly began circling each other.

Alec waited exactly half a second before lunging. He knew his sister would block him, this wasn’t a competition. It was nothing more than two siblings merely going through their paces. Their weapons met with a crack he was sure could be heard down the hall and he hoped that they wouldn’t draw a crowd. “Magnus.”

“Magnus then. How did things go with Magnus. I hear you had breakfast.” Izzy spun, swinging her staff at his feet. Alec jumped, beating his wings twice and using Archangelic speed to end up behind her, a knife he had previously had hidden now at her throat. 

“Cheating,” she growled, making Alec smirk. He released her and got a punch on the shoulder in return.

“It was just breakfast, Izzy. Despite what Jace might say.” He raised one hand in surrender before taking two steps back and regripping his weapon. This time Izzy went on the offensive, coming at him with blow after blow that he could barely parry. While he was distracted with her attack, she used her wing to sweep under his feet causing him to topple backwards with force. Thankfully, they had not in fact gathered an audience. His people didn’t need to see weakness in their Archangel this early in the game.

“You like him.” She said after studying him for a moment and then offering a hand to help him up. Alec took it, dusting himself off. Izzy raised an eyebrow and he knew that she wasn’t going to let this drop. Sisters were that way sometimes. Annoying, predictable and supportive in all the ways you needed them to be even if you didn’t think you needed that right now.

Alec sighed, “He’s young and scared and our world has not been kind to him. No one has shown him kindness. But…” He leaned his weight onto the staff still in his arm and wiped his eyes with this free hand.

“But…?”

“For all that he walks on eggshells around me, he said I don’t seem very frightening. Even before I ascended, I haven’t had someone stand up to me like that in a very long time.”

Izzy gave a sad smile and pulled him into a hug. “You are not our parents. Maybe, in time, he’ll learn to see that too.”

They only had another moment of peace before the doors slammed open and Alec turned with a growl at his lips. Jace ran in, out of breath and looking like he had seen a ghost. The Archangel’s senses were immediately on alert. Jace was one of his best soldiers, if not THE best. The only scenarios that Alec knew would get this sort of reaction out of, played in the back of his mind. It was too soon for another Archangel to attack and test him. Had Maryse returned to take revenge for her husband? “Jace, what is it?”

Jace paused, breathing deeply and trying to get enough oxygen in his lungs to continue. “It’s Clary. They found Clary.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This did not go where I had intended it to go but it just be like that sometimes. 
> 
> Also to clarify - Robert ruled North America, and Maryse had South America. Both Archangels in their own right and while not common, it's not impossible for them to have children/relationships with each other.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec’s attention turned to them and the warlock felt his blood run cold. The man in front of him right now, still in the suit he’d had on earlier, was not the same angel he had breakfast with this morning that had promised him no harm. His eyes were a solid black and pure power was nearly rolling off him in waves. At this moment, Alexander was no longer just an Archangel - he was a monster from the darkest places not even demons ventured to go and Magnus was terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MIND THE TAGS. 
> 
> For real, do it. There's some darkness in this chapter and while it's not graphically talked about, it's there. 
> 
> For this chapter: death of children, aftermath of torture, murder

Alec and Izzy only took a moment to glance at each other before they followed Jace out of the room. The Ops center was chaos. The rest of those in the Institute might not know exactly what was going on but they were fueled by Jace’s energy. “Tell me.” Alec said, Jace falling in next to him as they made their way to the Infirmary. Those who had the misfortune to be in their way, quickly made room. 

“Aline.” Jace huffed, clearly still trying to catch his breath. Alec could see him practically trembling with the discovery. “Aline said you heard whispers and sent a team to investigate. She didn’t want to bother you for what could possibly end up being nothing...and she knew you wouldn’t mind.” She was right, of course. Aline was Jia’s daughter and they’d grown up together. If anyone knew him as well as his siblings did, it was her. 

“Alec, they found her here. In New York. And she’s not...in a good way. We had to call in Keir.” That news alone was nearly enough to stop the Archangel in his place but he kept his composure as he continued down the hallway. Keir was without a doubt the best healer the angels had but he remained at the Refuge to help look after their young ones and their most injured. He was a neutral party, serving all the Archangels without taking a side. The Refuge was one of their most sacred spaces but it was also very far away. The fact that he was here so quickly could only mean trouble. 

Keir was already well underway with his work when the three arrived in the Infirmary. Izzy went quickly to his side to assist, having trained at the Medica under him for years before the family moved to New York. “Her wings are remarkably still intact. The rest of her...Anshara will need to do its job. Multiple broken bones, a lot of blood loss...she was lucky. An angel this young...should not have survived.”

“Alec...she didn’t remember me. ME.” Jace’s voice was nearly a whisper in the quiet room. “She was still conscious when they brought her in...just barely. And she didn’t remember who I was.” He could hear the hurt in the other angel’s voice. Clary had been younger than Jace and hadn’t quite been to school with them but the two had grown close. They’d nearly been a couple before Clary had disappeared, an event that nearly broke Jace. There was a very scary time, Alec thought he’d lose him too.

“Keep this quiet, for now. Lock down this room. This stays between us right now. Don’t tell either Jocelyn or Valentine...after the rumors that were circulating a few months ago, we need more information before we do anything else. My rule is still new, we don’t need to be making more trouble for ourselves, especially now when...”

Alec was cut off by a knock at the door. He had already begun compiling a list of his people in deep cover in the field, trying to determine who he could shift around to get them the information that they so desperately needed. Underhill slipped inside the room at Alec’s request. He was one of Alec’s network, recalled not too long ago for another trusted face during the transition of power. He would have been a good one to do the job, but Alec really needed him here right now. “Sir, there’s been another attack. We’ve got people en route but the mundane officers are already there.”

“Where?” Alec asked with a sigh, already knowing that he wasn’t going to like the answer.

For his part, Underhill sounded like he regretted the statement immediately when he said it. “Where else? New York.”

Alec felt a chill run down his spine. Two incidents in his city so close together. This was no coincidence because the universe is rarely so lazy. This was staged and this was an attack on his city and his people and that was something he absolutely would not stand for. It didn’t matter if the lives in question were angel, downworld or mundane - they were his. He felt the ice creeping in the back of his mind and quickly shut the door before it could get in. Now was not the time for that.

“Izzy -”

“Go. Take one of the wolves. I think Maia is still downstairs. Jace will stay here with Clary. Underhill will man the fort. I’ll go get your warlock.” He praised whatever Fate was staring down at him right now for the fact that his siblings could read him so well. 

“He’s not my warlock.” He muttered, already heading for the door.

“Okay.” Izzy removed the gloves she had put on and followed him out the door, throwing one last small smile over her shoulder to Jace.

“Izzy.” He knew that arguing with his sister once she had made up her mind was a moot point but he felt the need to try anyway.

“I mean it, Alec. Go. Be the Archangel that the city of New York needs you to be. I’ll meet you there.”

\--------------------------------------------------------

Izzy hadn’t seen Magnus earlier so she wasn’t certain what was waiting for her when she knocked on the warlock’s front door. Jace had said he was sparkly and couldn’t provide much more information than that. The security footage that she’d snuck a look out had confirmed that the blond hadn’t been that far off - Magnus was definitely dressed fashionably in gold and black. 

This Magnus was more relaxed, dressed in simple black slacks and a dark blue button down shirt. He’d taken off most of the jewelry that she’d seen on the footage earlier and he held a half full martini glass in his hands. “Magnus Bane? Alec sent me to get you. There’s been another attack. He’s already there.” It was short, sweet and to the point but it was all that was needed to get things moving.

Magnus’s face froze for only a second and he inhaled sharply, the martini glass in his hand disappearing quickly with a wave of his hand. Another flash of magic added a black blazer and a few more necklaces and rings.  _ Armor _ , Izzy thought, seeing it for what it truly was even if her brothers couldn’t. The right outfit could do wonders for the mind. 

“Shall we go then?” Even if he didn’t know Isabelle personally, he’d definitely seen her around. She was a favorite of the local mundanes for being both gorgeous and outgoing, not afraid to stop and talk to people on the streets. She’d even been to Pandemonium a time or two though Magnus had made sure to keep well out of the way when she had, wanting to spare himself an angry visit from either of the girl’s parents. 

He moved aside to let her into the loft. She’d flown here obviously but without wings of his own, that route wasn’t an option for Magnus and he wasn’t certain he wanted to be anyone’s passenger. “I can portal us. Where to?”

She only hesitated for a moment before following him inside. This was the second day in a row he’d let an angel into his Loft. This was his safe space and he was placing a lot of trust in them very quickly but he reminded himself that he’d been hired to do a job. This? This was part of that job and right now, he was supposed to track an apparently insane Archangel based off what he found at the scene of a crime. No big deal.

The address she gave him was a few blocks away from his club and he frowned. That close to a place he considered a second home, he should have known something wasn’t right. He opened the portal and waved a hand toward it. “After you?” She looked between him and the portal for a moment before taking a breath and stepping through. The warlock guessed that with wings, the angels didn’t have a lot of need for portal travel.

They arrived outside of the building in an alley around the side. Even from here, he could tell that tensions were high and it set him on edge. He followed Isabella to the front of the building and the mundane police officers quickly moved aside. It was common knowledge that if the angels showed up, this was their jurisdiction. Downworld crimes were no match for regular street officers.

As soon as he stepped foot inside the building, the unmistakable scent of iron hit his nose - blood. And a lot of it. 10 little beds, the bedding stained red and a shadowy pile in the corner that Magnus tried too hard not to look too closely at, knowing that the nightmare would stay with him for the rest of his long life anyway. Isabelle choked back a sob next to him and he reached for her hand. Children were rare for the angels, that’s why they raised theirs in a secret city away from the rest of the world. 

Alec’s attention turned to them and the warlock felt his blood run cold. The man in front of him right now, still in the suit he’d had on earlier, was not the same angel he had breakfast with this morning that had promised him no harm. His eyes were a solid black and pure power was nearly rolling off him in waves. At this moment, Alexander was no longer just an Archangel - he was a monster from the darkest places not even demons ventured to go and Magnus was  _ terrified. _

“Magnus, what can you find?” The Archangel snapped, his voice colder than it had been earlier in the day. Magnus wasted no time, sending out a wave of blue and slowly moving through the room. Fear was a power in and of itself and with this much of it, it was nearly impossible for the warlock to get a read on anything. Eventually, he was able to follow the path up a staircase nearly hidden in the back. The door opened to the roof and Magnus took one look around and shook his head. 

“There’s nothing here that I can track. There’s too much fear from the…” He couldn’t bring himself to say the next word and backtracked quickly. “There’s too much fear. It overpowers everything else.”

“There can’t be nothing here. You’re supposed to be the best, FIND SOMETHING!” The Archangel didn’t yell, not truly, but Magnus could feel his words, and the order that came with it, down to his very bones. 

“Alexander, I can’t. There’s nothing for me to track here, believe me. I want to find him as much as you do...no one should have to go through what happened down there. Please, I can’t.” The warlock pleaded, the order fighting him for obedience. The Archangel nearly roared, throwing a wave of power that Magnus just barely had time to raise his hands and block. Alec’s own power ricocheted back at him, this time mixed with a little bit of Magnus’ magic and the angel, still raw with rage and grief, was not able to move in time. The burst of energy hit his wing, sending rippling blue lightning up it.

The angel hissed in pain, lifting his wing carefully to inspect the damage. The lightning faded quickly, but there was a faint blue marking starting to form. Magnus would almost say it was a bruise but feathers...can’t bruise. Whatever had just happened seemed to snap Alec out of it. When he looked back to Magnus, his eyes were wide and on their way to being their normal blue again. For a tense moment neither of them moved. As far as the Warlock is concerned, he just attacked an Archangel. That’s immediate grounds for his termination but Alec doesn’t look like he wants to kill him. Instead, he just looks like a deer in the headlights, like he’d rather be anywhere but on that rooftop right now. “Magnus, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean… I’ve got to go.” He stammered before shooting upwards into the night sky and disappearing into the darkness.

Magnus stood frozen, unsure of what to do. The angels and Institute staff downstairs surely knew that  _ something _ had happened on that roof and Alec had taken off. Thankfully, he was saved from having to make any rash decision by a rustle of feathers behind him. He turned, relieved to find that it was Isabelle who had joined him on the roof and she didn’t look upset, just...sad?

“He’s not a bad person, you know. He’s trying. He wants to change things but he’s got a lot on his plate. Our parents trained him from day one to be someone’s second. They pushed him into the field early to get him more training. He was a spy, you know? He practically raised us when we were in Alicante but the moment we left they shipped him off and we rarely saw him after that. He wasn’t trained for it but they expected it of him anyway.” He didn’t know what to say so he stayed quiet, the two looking over the streets of New York.

“No one expected him to Ascend, not this young. He’s very good at staying in the shadows but the politics are new to him. So is the power and the spotlight and everything that comes with being an Archangel. He’s...trying. It’s just a lot thrown at him at once. It can take a few hundred years for them to come into their full power. Alec’s had barely two weeks. I don’t think any of us expected him to Go Cold tonight, even with what we saw downstairs. Whatever you did to shake him out of it… you potentially saved a lot of lives.”

They stayed quiet for a few minutes, listening to the mundane officers try to keep the onlookers back and the Institute staff coming and going. Izzy sighed, pushing off the railing and heading back towards the door. “Again, I’m sorry about Alec. I know he didn’t mean it. He didn’t want to hurt you. I’ve got to get back and examine the…” she waved her hands, not wanting to voice what they had all seen downstairs. 

“You said there was a lot going on…” He found himself saying before Isabelle had disappeared through the doorway. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keir is from the Guild Hunters series and is a precious baby who should be cherished so of course I had to fit him in somewhere.
> 
> I absolutely did not want to write about what they found in that building and so I tried to take a page out of Jim Butcher's book and cover it but... not.
> 
> And yes, that is another Sherlock quote in there. Why not?


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How is she, Keir?” Izzy asked, directing her question to the angel standing next to Jace. 
> 
> “Not good. She’s not responding to angelic healing despite our best efforts. As I said earlier, her best bet would be Anshara, but she might not be able to enter it...she’s very young. We’ve stabilized her the mundane way. I’ll stay here at the Institute until she looks to be on the mend. I remember Clary as a very persistent child. If she can pull herself out, she’ll be alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Izzy and Magnus talk more, Magnus tries to help and Alec reacts like you'd expect.
> 
> This chapter didn't quite go where I expected so there should be another update soon!

For the second time that night, Magnus found himself thankful for the convenience of portals. He didn’t want to surprise a bunch of already on edge angels by just randomly appearing in the Ops room, so he chose to deposit them right outside the Institute doors. “Much quicker than flying,” Isabelle remarked, stepping through after him. “I could definitely get used to that.”

Magnus couldn’t help but grin in response. “It definitely has its perks, my dear.” He followed the angel into the Institute, noticing that no one even gave them a second look. Interesting. After the way his presence was always met by the elder Lightwoods, he would have expected a different reception. He wasn’t sure where Isabelle was taking them but he followed her through the hallways. Away from all the violence, fear and anger of the scene they had just left and finally able to take a breath, Magnus was able to start processing everything that had just happened. 

He didn’t know enough about the bloodborn state in angels. Really, he only had the information that Alec had given him earlier in the day. He needed more information but he figured now wasn’t the best time to ask. For the time being, he did the only thing he could - compared it to a bloodlust in a vampire. If he looked at it through those lenses, it shed some light on what they had, and hadn’t, found. 

Magnus, in his 400 years, had been witness to vampires in bloodlust before and what he’d seen back in that building had been nothing like that. The aftermath of the vampires had always been messy, to say the least. What they found, was too organized, too clean, to be anything like a true bloodlust. It was horrible, yes, but if Malachi was still able to plan his murders out like that then he hadn’t devolved far enough yet. Once he started making mistakes, Magnus was sure that he’d be able to pick up a trail.

Then there was whatever it was that had happened with Alec on the roof. He had thought that the Archangel was about to kill him. Instead, he’d apologized and had taken off. “Isabelle,” He started, not sure if he would actually get answers or if he even really  _ wanted _ those answers. The more he actually knew about the angels, the more dangerous life would be for him. “What happened tonight on the roof? Granted, I barely know Alexander but he seemed...different. You said he went Cold?”

Izzy stopped and sighed, knowing that Magnus was at least owed some explanation, especially considering how close he had come to death without even knowing it. She pulled him into the first empty room and shut the door. This was not a conversation that needed to be had where anyone at the Institute could hear, especially right now when they still weren’t certain who their enemies and allies were. 

“We call it the Quiet. It only happens with Archangels and even then, it’s rare. I said he went Cold because that’s essentially what happened… the Quiet is a state of mind that’s all the darkness an Archangel can have. They have no mercy, no fear, no care for anyone. Whatever you did pulled Alec out of it before anything bad happened and knowing my brother, he’s feeling absolutely terrible about himself right now. The Quiet doesn’t happen often but with everything that happened tonight and all the other stuff going on right now, it’s stretching him pretty thin. He hasn’t even had time to get used to being an Archangel and then all this…” She gestured towards the hallway that they had come from. 

“This isn’t something we normally share with people but I think you’re owed an explanation for what you did tonight, even if you didn’t know it.” She smiled and pulled him into a hug. “Again, thank you.” Magnus tried not to freeze but felt himself stop breathing and his heart start pounding faster. If Maryse Lightwood had been in the room with them, he was certain she would have killed him...slowly. And creatively. 

“Shall we go find Jace?” She asked, pulling away and pushing the door open for him. Magnus nodded and followed her down the hallway. The corridor was dark and deserted and he got the feeling they were purposefully keeping people away. The room they ended up at had two angelic guards posted by the doors. Izzy nodded to them, grabbed Magnus’ hand and pulled him inside. 

The warlock wasn’t sure what he expected, but a hospital room surely wasn’t it. Jace and an unknown angel with golden brown wings were standing over a bed. The patient, another angel with fiery red hair and white wings that practically glittered like fractured diamonds, the complete opposite from the rest of her. She was young and broken and had obviously been through hell and Magnus’ heart absolutely broke. 

“How is she, Keir?” Izzy asked, directing her question to the angel standing next to Jace. 

“Not good. She’s not responding to angelic healing despite our best efforts. As I said earlier, her best bet would be Anshara, but she might not be able to enter it...she’s very young. We’ve stabilized her the mundane way. I’ll stay here at the Institute until she looks to be on the mend. I remember Clary as a very persistent child. If she can pull herself out, she’ll be alright.” Despite his youthful appearance, Magnus heard the age and wisdom behind the angel’s voice. 

“I just wish we could do more. She deserves...she deserves to be better.” The warlock recognized the look on Jace’s face - his entire world had been shattered. 

“I can try?” Magnus asked, quietly. He wasn’t sure why Isabelle had brought him here exactly. This seemed very personal for the angels involved but he did have the ability to heal, it would be wrong for him to not at least offer. “My understanding is warlock healing is very different from angelic healing.”

Izzy and Jace looked to Keir who seemed to consider the warlock for a moment. “You’re right about that...it certainly couldn’t hurt. In this situation, I’m willing to give anything a shot if it means a better chance for Clary.”

Izzy gave a soft smile and kissed Magnus on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I’m going to go see if I can find Alec and drag him from whatever hole he’s hiding in. He should be here.” With that, she walked out the door, leaving Magnus with Jace and Keir. 

“What do you need, Magnus?” Jace asked, moving around Clary’s bed to join the warlock. 

“Nothing. Just let me try to work my magic.” He stepped up to the bed and held his hands over the young angel. A wave of blue spilled from his fingertips and covered her body. Magnus closed his eyes, letting his magic tell him what was wrong. After a few moments, he grunted and felt Jace come closer. 

“Are you alright? What is it?”

“Whatever is preventing her from healing, it’s demonic in origin. And it’s strong.”

“Can you fix it?” This time it was Keir. There was a hint of surprise in the old angel’s voice. 

“I  _ think _ so. I can at least try.” Without opening his eyes, he pushed a little more magic Clary’s way and set to work. 

\----------------------------------------------------------

Izzy knew her brother well but there were still a few different places he could have retreated to. Instead of checking them all, she opted to ask Underhill who had a way of just knowing everyone’s whereabouts. “Have you seen Alec? He took off in a hurry.” In response, the spy just pointed up and she shook her head.  _ Of course, _ he was on the roof. After tonight, where else would he be?

She found him, bow raised, shooting arrows into the New York sky. They flew for a bit before exploding on the protective barrier that surrounded the Institute. Even in the dark, she could tell his fingers were raw but not bloody. His archangelic healing was taking care of them too quickly for the injury to get bad. She knew that had to be frustrating him even more. He liked having the paint to help ground him.

“Alec, you’ve got to stop. This is useless.” She said as she reached him. He made no move to stop, just frowned a little harder and pulled out another arrow, watching as that one too disappeared into the dark.

“Izzy, what happened tonight…” 

“What happened tonight wasn’t your fault. Your power hasn’t settled yet. You’ve got a lot going on. None of us blame you.” She gently pushed his bow arm towards the ground, before he could grab another arrow. 

He shuddered, and turned to look at his sister, pain clear in his eyes. “I could have killed Magnus. I told him I wouldn’t hurt him and it hasn’t even been a day and I’ve already broken that promise.” He pulled her close and rested his head on top of hers. 

“He’s fine and he’s not angry nor does he blame you. He was confused more than anything.” She whispered, hugging him back. They stood in silence for a few moments as Alec tried to put his thoughts back in order. 

“It could have been bad.” He said after a moment, already starting to put his bow over his shoulder. 

“But it wasn’t. In fact, Magnus stopped it from getting bad, even if he didn’t know it. And right now he’s downstairs trying to heal Clary so what do you say we go down and join them?”

“Izzy...Thank you.” Alec gave himself one last moment to just be Alec before he stepped back into his Archangel mindset. He had a job to do and he needed to be there for his people. Whatever concerns he had left would need to wait. Right now, his heartbroken brother’s girlfriend was barely stable and his warlock was trying to heal her. They needed his support.

“Hey...That’s what little sisters are for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Magnus and Alec finally get to have that heart to heart.
> 
> For those wonder, Anshara is a healing trance that older angels can enter when seriously injured.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Magnus, you need to stop. You’re going to kill yourself.” He whispered, Jace quietly sliding out and letting Alec take his place supporting the warlock.

When the siblings entered Clary’s room, they were met with tension. Keir had a pained look on his face that Alec had never seen him wear before. When his eyes fell on Magnus, he froze. The warlock was nearly passed out against Jace, his magic looking faint as it continued to settle over Clary. The healer was the first to notice them. “There’s some sort of demonic thorn poisoning Clary and preventing angelic healing from working. Magnus is attempting to remove it.”

His explanation was enough to shake Alec out of his thoughts and he rushed to the warlock. This close, he could see the amount of effort that Magnus was exerting. He was paler than he had been this morning, sweat beading on his brow. “Magnus, you need to stop. You’re going to kill yourself.” He whispered, Jace quietly sliding out and letting Alec take his place supporting the warlock. 

“Can’t. Almost have it.” Magnus responded, squinting his eyes and trying to focus on what his magic was telling him. The healer wasn’t lying...he was so very, very close. If he could manage to hold on for just a few more moments, he’d fix the demonic corruption and the angelic healers could take over.

Alec sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to change his mind. “Then what do you need?”

“Strength.” The warlock responded, only half focused on the conversation at hand. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake right now, not with a life on the line.

Alec hesitated, knowing that there could be fall out from what he was about to do. Archangels were beings of pure power, he could easily offer Magnus some of his strength, he just wasn’t sure what effect it would have on the warlock. “Then take some of mine.” He offered after a moment, holding out the hand that wasn’t supporting Magnus’ weight. 

Magnus only hesitated a second before taking his hand. He had asked for strength and it was being given to him freely. The warlock gasped and stood upright, turning to Alec with wide eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something but shook his head and turned his attention back to Clary, not letting go of the Archangel’s hand. His magic was brighter now, Alec noted. Sharing his strength must be working.

They all sat in silence for a few more anxious moments, not wanting to distract Magnus from his work. Finally, his magic flashed an angry red and the warlock stumbled backward into Alec. “Hey, you okay?” He asked quietly, his eyes running over Magnus’ body, looking for any sign that something wasn’t right. Magnus nodded, taking a moment to close his eyes and breath before turning his attention back to Keir. 

“It’s done. You can try healing her now.” Keir instantly set to work, the room falling into hopeful silence before a small smile crossed the healer’s face. 

“She’s responding to treatment.” He said after a second, gesturing for Isabelle to come closer and help him. Jace let out a sob and Alec gave his brother an encouraging smile. He knew how much Clary meant to him, how broken he’d been since she had disappeared. He had the other half of his soul back now and hopefully, they could both start to heal. 

Alec trusted Izzy and Keir with Clary’s healing and focused his attention on the warlock who was once again slumped in his arms. Magnus had just done them a considerable favor without asking for anything in return. Alec had every intention to pay him for the service he’d just provided but right now, he needed to make sure the other man could regain his strength at the very least. 

Without a second thought, he reached down and lifted Magnus into his arms bridal style, getting a rather undignified squeak out of the warlock. Izzy gave him a knowing look as he carried his charge out the door and down the hall. Magnus started to protest but Alec ignored him, knowing that none of the Institute’s residents would see them. That was a talent of his - going completely unnoticed until he wanted to be seen. It wasn’t a true glamor but it was pretty close. 

He made his way to the lounge that was attached to his office, figuring it would be a nice quiet place for the warlock to recover. He deposited Magnus on a plush sofa and glanced around the room. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” He stepped into the hallway and caught Underhill’s eye. The angel tilted his head in question. He might not have actually seen Alec earlier, but he’d worked with him long enough to know that something had passed through a moment ago. “Can you have the chef prepare a meal? Steak, sandwich...I don’t care. Preferably something with a lot of carbs.” He didn’t wait around for an answer and stepped back into his office. 

Magnus was still on the couch where he had left him, looking like a deer in the headlights. After what had happened on the roof tonight, Alec was sure that he’d only further confused the warlock. “Thank you for helping Clary. You didn’t have to do that.” He said, choosing to ignore the man’s startled expression and take a seat on the other side of the couch. “You exerted a lot of energy doing so, I’m having the chef make you something to eat. And don’t think I’m not going to pay you for what you did here tonight.”

Magnus didn’t reply so Alec figured his best bet was to keep talking. “Clary means the world to Jace. She disappeared a few hundred years ago. Despite the best efforts of my spies and the help of some of the other Archangels, we were never able to find her. They were able to locate her tonight - just before we got news of Malachi’s latest attack. They found her here in New York. Malachi was able to stage his atrocities here in New York. My city is under attack and I can’t do anything about it.”

“I didn’t mean to react that way on the roof. I felt the Quiet creeping in earlier but I figured shutting the door was enough to keep it out. I was wrong and a lot of people could have gotten hurt. I am sorry for breaking my promises to you so soon. I didn’t want to hurt you and I will make every effort to make sure it doesn’t happen again. You saved us tonight. All of us. In more ways than one.”

There was a knock at the door and Alec answered immediately, knowing that it was likely the food he had asked the kitchen to make. He expected to find the kitchen staff, not Underhill, holding a tray with two bowls of some sort of creamy pasta dish. He raised an eyebrow as he took it. “You need to eat too,” was all he got in way of an explanation before the other angel headed towards the Ops room to get back to work. 

Alec sighed, taking the tray back to the couch and setting one bowl in front of Magnus and taking the other to one of the wingback chairs in front of the couch. “Eat. You need to regain your energy.”

“I talked to your sister,” Magnus started after they ate in silence for a few moments. “I know you’re nothing like your parents. You care...and not just about your angels like they did… as most do. You care about everyone you consider one of your people. You wouldn’t have reacted that way back at the scene earlier if you didn’t. I may not have believed that first but I’m starting to see it now…” He’d barely known the Archangel for two days but everything he’d seen thus far from not only Alec but Izzy and Jace as well, had proven that the younger angels were definitely different than their older counterparts. 

“What happened on the roof, I know it wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you. A lot can happen when tensions are high and we all saw what was in that room. I wouldn’t blame anyone for lashing out.” There  _ was _ the matter of the order tha he hadn’t followed. Alec’s ‘Find something’ replaying in his head and the order burning under his skin for his insubordination. Later. He’d have to deal with that later. He could hold off a bit longer and now was certainly not the time to address it. 

Alec gave a small smile. “Thanks. I’m trying. I may not know what I’m doing half the time but I’m giving it what I’d like to say is a halfway decent shot.”

Magnus couldn’t help but return his smile. “From what I’ve seen, it looks like you’re doing a pretty decent job.”

They finished the rest of their meal in silence, leaving Magnus wondering what would happen next. Alec, apparently, had already thought that far ahead. “You should stay here tonight, in the family wing. We’ve got spare rooms and I’m sure you’re still nowhere near back to full strength.” Magnus started to protest and the angel held up a hand. “Please, Magnus. I insist. No harm will come to you. You can get some rest and in the morning, we’ll have the rest of the results that my teams found in that building tonight. Maybe some of it will be helpful to you.” With that logic, there was nothing else he could do but accept.

He followed Alec out of the office and down the hall towards the elevator that Jace had taken him up that morning. He was exhausted, his power still drained and he’d need more than one meal and a good night’s sleep to recover completely. Magnus rubbed his eyes and felt a wave of dizziness roll over him. He paused, reaching out for the wall to steady himself. Alec turned, concern in his eyes, as he heard the warlock stop moving. “Magnus, are you alright?” He found himself unable to respond as he succumbed to a sea of black fire.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s Magnus.” He said, not waiting for pleasantries. “We ate and I was showing him to a guest room and he passed out.”
> 
> “Calm down, Alec. I’m sure he’s just exhausted. Even with your boost, he used a lot of energy today. A lot more than most warlocks even have.” Keir replied, placing his hand on Magnus’ forehead and reaching out with some of his own power to try and get a feel of what might be wrong. They were silent for a moment before the healer removed his hand with a slight frown. “It’s as expected, he just needs rest.”
> 
> “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

Even with Archangelic speed, Alec barely made it to Magnus before he hit the ground. He scooped the warlock up and backtracked to the medical wing. “KEIR!” He yelled as he pushed open the door in the empty room next to Clary’s and set the other man on the bed. When the healer didn’t instantly appear, he started towards the door, intending to either continue to scream for Keir or hope that he was still with Clary. He didn’t have time to wait. Magnus was in trouble and he needed the healer here five minutes ago. 

He threw open the door, nearly sliding to a stop as he found himself face to face with Keir. “It’s Magnus.” He said, not waiting for pleasantries. “We ate and I was showing him to a guest room and he passed out.”

“Calm down, Alec. I’m sure he’s just exhausted. Even with your boost, he used a lot of energy today. A lot more than most warlocks even have.” Keir replied, placing his hand on Magnus’ forehead and reaching out with some of his own power to try and get a feel of what might be wrong. They were silent for a moment before the healer removed his hand with a slight frown. “It’s as expected, he just needs rest.”

“There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“There is something else, a bit of magic it feels like, but it’s hard to know much more than that. Warlocks aren’t common and as you saw earlier, they have their own healing abilities. I have no way of knowing if that magic is related to his own abilities or something else. Let him regain his strength and we will go from there.” Alec frowned, returning his gaze to the warlock laying unconscious in the hospital bed.

“You need to get some rest too. Archangel or not, you still need sleep. Izzy told me what happened earlier. You’re exhausted, Alec. You’re still young and this is still new. Running yourself into the ground isn’t going to help the people in your city nor will it prove to the Cadre that you’ve got what it takes to be an Archangel. Stop being stubborn. You don’t need to do everything. You have both angels and downworlders under your command so use them.”

Alec knew he was right. Keir might not be an Archangel but he was an Ancient. He’d seen his share of Archangels ascend, fall, and meet their ends. “I can’t leave him. I told him I’d keep him safe. I failed….twice tonight I’ve failed him.”

“He won’t be waking up anytime soon, I promise. At least go back to your office and catch a nap. I’m sure if you asked your sister, she’d wait here with Magnus. Or better yet, call one of the downworlders that he might trust. This is his city too, is it not? I’m sure there’s someone on your staff that he knows well.”

Alec knew there was. He had read Magnus’ file - he knew about his club and the vampires and wolves the warlock was close to. Calling in someone outside of his family or those immediately in his inner circle was risky at times like this but how could the people in his city trust him if he didn’t start trusting them?

The Archangel nodded, leaving Keir to finish in Magnus’ room. He stepped into the Ops center and glanced around. Underhill must be off shift and another young angel was in his place. He wasn’t sure of the boy’s name but he had seen him working aerial drills with Jace a few days ago. He was barely an adult by angel standards and must have been right out of the Refuge. The boy noticed as he walked over, his eyes wide and slightly terrified. “Call the vampire Raphael Santiago. Tell him he’s needed at the Institute immediately. When he gets here, show him to my office.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and stalked back to his office. It was quiet now and the sun would be rising soon. Keir was right, he needed sleep. Even an hour or two would make a world of difference. He estimated that he had about two hours before the sun started to rise. Hopefully, the vampire would get here soon. He couldn’t afford to still be sleeping as his city started to wake up.

He nearly collapsed into the chair at his desk and idly picked through the paperwork on his desk. He didn’t have the focus to work on any of it right now but he felt like his hands needed to be busy. He had to keep working, at least until Raphael was watching over Magnus. He placed some files in a tray labeled done and moved another two to a pile for Underhill to review tomorrow. There was a report tucked neatly into a corner that Aline must have had someone slip in, detailing all the intel she had that led to Clary’s discovery. He read through it once and then a second time much more quickly before opening up the locked drawer at the bottom of the desk and slipping the papers into the file he kept on Clary’s disappearance. 

His hand hesitated for a moment before he pulled out another folder. This had been the file his parents kept on Magnus and he was quickly learning just how inaccurate it was. Not once did it mention that he had the ability to heal, let alone heal angels. How many injuries could they have treated more quickly had they been able to call on him? Angels could recover from just about anything but the younger angels healed much more slowly. Recovering from a severed limb was still a three-month process for an angel Jace’s age. The younger angels could be out of service for at least a year.

The same file listed Magnus as someone who was moody, impossible to work with, and hostile to angels. Alec may have been hesitant when he’d first approached the warlock yesterday but after the events tonight it was clear that none of that was true. Magnus was timid around angels, yes, likely due to the emotional abuse that had no doubt stemmed from his parents, but he was also kind. He cared about people...far more than someone in his situation should. 

Tucked into the middle of the file on a piece of old parchment was the contract his parents had scammed a much younger Magnus into signing. Something about the contract still rubbed him the wrong way. Vampires and werewolves always signed a two hundred year contract with the angels that turned them. They would directly serve the angels for those two hundred years in exchange for their new abilities and near-immortality but the warlocks and the seelies were different. They were born with their abilities, they weren’t angel-given. They kept a registry of those in their territory and checked in on them periodically but it wasn’t common practice to have one sign a service contract. 

Especially not one like Magnus’ that didn’t list a release date.

A knock on the door had him slipping the contract into a blank folder on his desk. “Enter.” It was the young angel from the Ops room abd behind him a slightly disgruntled Raphael Santiago. 

“Archangel. What can I assist you with?” Alec had always liked Raphael. He was no-nonsense and to the point. 

“Come with me.” He led the vampire down the hallway and ushered him into Magnus’ room. Keir was still there but more monitoring equipment had been brought in and the lights had been dimmed. A brief flicker of worry crossed Raphael’s normally impassive face. Alec had known the two were close but he hadn’t realized that they were that close. 

“What happened?” The vampire asked, stepping up to the side of the bed and placing his hand on top of Magnus’. 

“One of our own came to us in critical shape earlier. There was something demonic preventing her from healing. Magnus was able to remove it but he expended a lot of energy doing so. We owe her life to him. The least we can do is help him heal. I can’t be everywhere at once. I thought a familiar face would be welcome when he woke up. I was hoping you’d stay with him for a couple of hours. I’ll return shortly after sunrise.”

“Of course. I would be honored.” Alec nodded his thanks and then motioned for the healer to follow him. “Keir, before you take off for the night, I’d like to speak with you in my office. I have something to show you that I’d like your opinion on.”

“Let me catch Mr. Santiago up to speed and I’ll join you there shortly.” Alec left them to it and quietly made his way back to his office. He felt the day’s events start to catch up with him and he stifled a yawn. Almost. He could almost sleep.

Keir slipped in a few minutes later without knocking, knowing that the Archangel wouldn’t mind. “I thought I told you to rest and not work yourself to death.” Alec gave a weary smile and held a folder out to him. 

“Almost. I promise. Can you look at this first? Do you know anything about these contracts? It doesn’t seem like the standard service contract we make the vampires and werewolves sign. Something about it has been bugging me since I first read it yesterday.”

The healer took the folder and took a seat in the chair across from Alec. He read through it slowly, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he realized what was in his hand. “Contracts like these used to be common… a few thousand years ago but shortly before you were born they were deemed to be cruel and unnecessary. We began to have much better relationships with the downworld when we stopped the magical contracts and switched to something more mundane. The Cadre completely banned the use of these contracts. I very much doubt I’m going to like the answer when I ask where you got this.”

“It’s Magnus’. My understanding is that my parents somehow forced him to sign it when he was still very young. The New York Institute holds it, so it passed to me when I took over for my father.”

“Alec…” Keir started, eyes narrowing as he reread a passage on the page in front of him. “The reason these were banned is because the magic behind them is very specific. An order given must be followed without question. If it’s not, the spell will punish the one named in the contract. What exactly happened on that roof earlier?”

Alec felt a chill down his spine as he recalled the events on the roof. He didn’t have much memory of when he’d gone Cold but he did remember a few very specific moments.  _ FIND SOMETHING.  _

“Oh no.” He muttered, his heart rate starting to pick up. He’d given Magnus that order and Magnus had pleaded with him. He couldn’t find something when there was nothing to find. “I’m the reason he passed out, aren’t I?”

“Alec, breathe. This is fixable. It wasn’t meant to be torture, it was just meant to enforce obedience. I made sure he’s not in any pain right now. He’s sleeping at the moment. When he wakes you can rescind the order. It’s fine. Just try to be cautious with how you word things to him moving forward.”

“Why do I keep screwing this up? I told him I wouldn’t hurt him and I did, multiple times over the past day.”

Keir smiled at him and handed back the folder. “I think you already know the answer to that question so I won’t humor you by pretending.”

The Archangel sighed. “I don’t suppose I could just light this thing up with some Archangel fire and that would be the end of that.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not certain it works that way. It’s tied to the parties involved in the signing. The spell didn’t break when your father passed so that likely means your mother is involved. I don’t know enough about these contracts to know if the fire would harm either of them if you were to use it. I can make some inquiries, though, if you’d like. I remain on good terms with some of the older Archangels. They were involved both in the creation and the banning of these types of contracts.”

“That would be great, thank you.” Alec locked the file back in his desk and joined Keir on the other side of his desk. “Thank you for all your help today, both with Clary and Magnus. I don’t know what we would do without you.” He pulled the other angel into a hug. 

“Go get some sleep. A tired Archangel doesn’t help anyone.” As Alec started towards the door, Keir was able to get a good look at his wings for the first time that evening. “Alec, did that happen tonight?”

Alec turned and followed the direction of the healer’s gaze. He lifted the wing, noticing that the feathers were still a cobalt blue from where Magnus’ magic had bounced back at him. He frowned, “That should have…”

“...healed by now, yes, I know. May I?” The Archangel nodded and lifted the wing a little more, giving Keir a better look. “He didn’t actively attack you, did he?”

Alec shook his head. “No, he just defended himself with a shield. My own power bounced back at me.”

Keir took a step back and motioned for Alec to turn around. “I can see nothing wrong with the wing or the feathers themselves. It doesn’t hurt?” The Archangel shook his head once more. “We’ll monitor it over the next few days. I’m afraid there isn’t anything I can do. You can glamor it if you don’t want the injury to be seen.”

“I guess we’ll see how it looks in the morning. A lot happened tonight, maybe I’m just tired.”

“Maybe. Go. Get some sleep now, Alec. Doctor’s orders. We’ll talk in a few hours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't expect for Keir to have this much of a role but he's one of my favorite Guild Hunters characters and very much a neutral party so it works.
> 
> ALSO TO NOTE: In the Guild Hunters books the vampires aren't affected by the sun. I'm taking a page out of that book.


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That was stupider than normal for you and that’s saying a lot.”
> 
> He tried to turn his head towards the voice but was met with a flash of pain. Apparently, moving wasn’t ideal at the moment. “Raphael. What are you doing here?”
> 
> “The Archangel asked me to stay until you woke up.” The vampire stepped closer to the bed, allowing Magnus to see him without needing to move. “I do as my Archangel commands.” He paused a moment, his eyes moving over the warlock’s face with scrutiny. “The fact remains, that was stupider than normal for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, you just have to let the chapter write itself.

Magnus came to with a groan and a familiar fire burning under his skin. He’d tried his best to avoid this and had successfully managed to do so for the last one hundred years. It was never pleasant when it happened but just following the damn orders kept the punishment at bay. He didn’t think it was intentional this time, not as it was when Robert had given him an impossible task just to watch him suffer, but it still hurt just as bad.

“That was stupider than normal for you and that’s saying a lot.”

He tried to turn his head towards the voice but was met with a flash of pain. Apparently, moving wasn’t ideal at the moment. “Raphael. What are you doing here?”

“The Archangel asked me to stay until you woke up.” The vampire stepped closer to the bed, allowing Magnus to see him without needing to move. “I do as my Archangel commands.” He paused a moment, his eyes moving over the warlock’s face with scrutiny. “The fact remains, that was stupider than normal for you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He wanted to sit up but with his body hurting the way it did, he wasn’t sure if he could manage it. Having this conversation while laying down seemed rather undignified. 

“The order, Magnus. I know you’re not that dense. You told Cat, Ragnor, and I what that damn contract does to you. I’m willing to bet you felt the effects getting worse before you passed out. You should have said something, you idiot.” Raphael was never afraid to be candid with him. He’d practically raised the boy, after all. He might serve the angels but Magnus was his family. 

“There wasn’t really a great time to bring it up. Besides…” He left his voice trail off and sighed. He’d just told Alexander that he believed that he was different than his parents. He believed that he truly cared about his people. So why was it so damn hard for him to believe that the unanswered order hadn’t been intentional?

“I should call Caterina and let her rip into you, you know. You’re always so eager to please, to help others, that you don’t take care of yourself. Give the man a chance, Magnus. I served his parents, as I’ll serve him until my debt is fulfilled. Anyone in this building can tell you he is a world apart from Robert or Maryse. No harm would have come to you for speaking up.” When did the kid get so damn smart?

Magnus glared at the young vampire, searching his mental library for some spell that would vanish him (or dump him rather ungracefully in the closest duckpond, he wasn’t going to be picky.) “Can you go away? It’s way too early and I have too much of a headache for world-changing revelations right now.”

Raphael smirked and headed towards the door. “Don’t admit I’m right. We both know it. I’ll go get the healer and let him know that you’re awake. Don’t do anything else this stupid or I will in fact tell Catarina on you.” He pushed open the door and slipped into the hallway, leaving Magnus alone to focus on the growing fire he felt in his body. He was sure they’d given him something to help with the pain, he could feel the grogginess that came with medication, but it must be wearing off. 

“Magnus, welcome back to the land of the living.” The healer, Keir he reminded himself, said as he entered the room. “Alec will be joining us shortly. How are you feeling? You gave us quite a scare.” He set about checking the medical equipment that Magnus was attached to and the warlock let himself close his eyes with a sigh. 

“Like I’m on fire.”

“I’m not surprised, given the nature of the spell that put you there. Mr. Santiago seems convinced you knew it was happening.”

The little traitor. Some adopted son he was. “I thought I had more time before it became an issue.” Not a total lie. He had thought he could at least make it to the room before the pain hit.

Thankfully, he was saved for further explanation by the Archangel slipping into the room. “Magnus, I’m glad to see you awake. Please don’t do that again.” He joined Keir next to Magnus’ bed and gave the man a soft smile. “When I said you should stay the night, the medical wing is not what I had in mind.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t make a habit of passing out. It’s not good for my complexion.” Magnus replied, returning the smile. 

Alec stared at him for a moment longer, meeting his cat eyes without anything other than concern, and Magnus found himself blushing. The Archangel looked back towards Kier and seemed to have a silent conversation before turning back to Magnus with a frown now on his face. The warlock wanted to fix whatever made this beautiful man so sad. “Magnus, I rescind my previous order to find something. I didn’t mean to cause you harm.”

Instantly, the fire under his skin subsided and he let out a sigh of relief. While he didn’t make a point of letting this happen often, every time it did, he nearly forgot what it was like to not have the constant pain. He felt lighter now, and freer, without the order looming over his head.

“You should have said something.”

“I... “Magnus opened his mouth and closed it after a second. Trust. He had to start trying to trust. He’d told Alec that he wasn’t his parents and Rafael had echoed the sentiment. It took a lot to get a compliment out of the normally prickly vampire. Robert and Maryse had done a number on him, anyone could see that, and working through that trauma would be enough to keep any therapist employed for the next few hundred years but he needed to start trying to heal sometime.

It all had to start with a little bit of trust. 

“It’s meant as a punishment. Your parents didn’t want me to question the orders they gave, just obey them. They didn’t give me many, fix the wards, heal a vampire, or two...just do what I was asked and be on my way. I haven’t felt that fire in a hundred years. I felt it itching under my skin but I thought I had a little while longer before the pain hit. There didn’t seem to be a good time to bring it up. And...I think a part of me thought you knew.”

Alec scowled, and Magnus instantly felt bad for adding that last comment. “It’s not like your contract came with an instruction manual and that type of contract has been banned for a thousand years. I’m not familiar enough with them so I apologize that I was a little slow on the uptake.”

Magnus blinked, struggling to comprehend the statements that the Archangel had just made. Banned? What did he mean by banned? “I wouldn’t know...I’ve never seen it.”

This time, it was Alec left speechless. “You...what? How have you never seen your own contract? You had to sign it.”

“The situation your parents forced me to sign under was dubious at best.” Alec felt the familiar anger he had when his parents were involved quietly rage at the back of his mind. Not only had they forced Magnus to sign a completely illegal contract, they hadn’t even let him see it. He was expected to have all the answers to his situation without any of the actual context. 

“Let’s fix that then.” He said simply, standing up and glancing at Keir. “Once you’ve given him the all-clear, can you have someone bring him to my office, please?” The healer nodded and Alec stepped into the hallway. He leaned against the wall once the door was closed and took a deep breath. Part of him was glad that his father was now dead and his mother was missing - how could either of them think something like that was okay? They’d ruined the warlock’s life, forced him into a role he didn’t need to play, for...what? Greed? Heartlessness? Their own twisted fun and games?

Once again, he had to remind himself that he was different. That was not the type of Archangel that he was going to be. He took a few more seconds to compose himself, slipping back into his no-nonsense persona before heading off towards his office. “ _ I’ve got some things that I need to take care of this afternoon. Can you hold down the fort?” _ He asked Underhill mentally once the door was closed. Telepathy was one of the abilities that came with being an archangel. He’d always hated when his parents had used it, their mental voice reverberating in his skull like nails on a chalkboard. His sister had assured him that he sounded nothing like that but he still tried to use the ability sparingly. 

Andrew’s reply came a few moments later. “ _ Of course. And I know where your sister is if I need any help. Take the time you need, sir.” _

He took Magnus’ contract out of his desk and flipped through it quickly one last time, making sure there wasn’t anything glaringly specific that he missed. Brought into service due to a past crime, magic uncontrollable, needed more direct supervision for the safety of all involved. None of that sounded like the warlock he’d come to know over the past few days. The contract itself was already illegal, what’s to say the rest of it wasn’t a complete sham either. 

There was a light knock on the door and Alec looked up to see Keir usher Magnus inside and closing the door behind him with a wink. The warlock had changed clothes. He was now dressed in a simple grey and black spotted shirt with a high collar and a matching grey vest. His make up was simple, his hair was styled but not overly so. Most of his jewelry was missing, save for a single necklace, and his two signet rings. This was a more relaxed Magnus, he realized, and he was very lucky the warlock was letting him see this version of him. 

“Please, sit down,” Alec said, carefully making sure it was worded as a request and not an order. “Had I realized you hadn’t seen this, I would have shown you earlier.” He handed the parchment to the warlock and watched his face as he started to read. 

“It’s not your fault. There was no way for you to know.” Magnus replied, not taking his eyes off the paper in his hand. Alec watched as confusion briefly crossed his face, followed by anger, before quickly being replaced once again by nonchalance. He read through it twice before carefully setting the document back on the Archangel’s desk and flexing his hands, trying to work out the anxious itch that had started to form in his palms. 

“I didn’t commit any crime,” He started quietly, unable to look Alec in the eye. “I’d just moved to New York from London. I was minding my own business and they had me arrested.” These were memories he hadn’t revisited in one hundred years but ones that he’d remember in detail for the rest of his long life. “Apparently my very presence had broken some sort of accords. I was still young, I didn’t know any better. They shoved this at me and told me that they’d let me go if I signed...if I helped them when they needed it. I didn’t realize the magic it held until much later.”

Alec said nothing, letting Magnus take a few moments to put his thoughts together. “There’s nothing here about my father. They told me...they told me this was all because of him.”

“That most certainly isn’t the case,” Alec said gently, knowing the warlock was in a fragile state right now. “Magnus, they never told me anything about you. I was their spymaster. I knew most of their secrets and then some. I won’t force you to tell me, but help me understand. Why was your father important enough that they felt they not only needed to force you into a contract that was banned a thousand years ago but also hide its existence from me?”

Magnus’ breath hitched and he chanced a glance at Alec’s face. There was no anger or disgust like he’d seen with the previous Lightwoods, only concern etched across his features. His parentage wasn’t something he shared openly but he had assumed, wrongly apparently, that all the angels knew. They sat in silence for a few moments while Magnus tried to gather the courage to say the actual words. Alec took a chance, reaching over the desk to grab the warlock’s hand and give it an encouraging squeeze. “Magnus, it’s okay. Whatever you have to say is not going to change my opinion of you.”

Magnus took a shaky breath and squeezed Alec’s hand back. The touch was reassuring. Now or never, he supposed. “Asmodeus. My father is Asmodeus.”


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus stared at him, a look of shock on his face that he didn’t bother trying to school. “You’d do that...for me?” Robert and Maryse had always assured him that this was permanent, that he’d needed the extra supervision for his own good but now there was a possible end in sight? If Alec could release him from the contract, he’d no longer be tied to New York or the New York Institute. He could travel, he could do what he wanted...he could just be MAGNUS again. He wasn’t even sure if he remembered who Just Magnus was anymore. He’d been so young when this whole situation had begun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY.
> 
> BUCKLE UP, GUYS. This chapter just wrote itself and all I can say is it just be like that sometimes.

Whatever Alec had been expecting to hear, ‘Asmodeus is my father’ certainly wasn’t it. Asmodeus wasn’t just a greater demon, he was a fallen angel. He’d been an Ancient, an Archangel, thousands of years ago and he’d succumbed to greed and corruption (or so the story went.) Instead of meeting his end by the hand of another Archangel, he’d disappeared. Some thought he’d gone to Sleep, as so many Ancients do, but the Cadre knew the truth. Asmodeus had slipped through to one of the realms of hell, lost his wings and everything else that made him an angel, and become a king of demons instead. 

No wonder his parents had been so quick to push Magnus into that contract...they’d been afraid. The blood running through Magnus’ veins, while demonic, could still retain some angelic aspects. Magnus was a warlock, yes, but he was in a league of his own. Alec already KNEW he was powerful… but now the question was, just how powerful WAS he?

“Who else knows?” He asked quietly, eyes flicking towards the door to confirm that it was shut as he mentally reached out to the others in the Institute to be sure that no curious ears were listening in.

“I thought it was common knowledge amongst your kind… but if it isn’t, at the very least, a couple of my friends that I’ve known for centuries, your parents and now you. I’m not sure if any of the other Archangels know. I don’t know who your parents would have told.” The warlock replied, his brow furrowed. He could hear the worry in Alec’s voice, even if he couldn’t pinpoint the reason for it. 

“Keep it that way,” Alec started, realizing quickly that he had phrased it as an order. “Please, keep it that way if you can. I’m certain the rest of the Cadre don’t know your true origins, only that you’re powerful.” He mentally ran through the last few conversations he’d had with them when they’d still been discussing calling Magnus in to confirm nothing seemed out of place. “My parents were at least smart enough to keep your father a secret. If the others found out… Magnus, you could be in incredible danger. The Cadre would play with you like a cat does a mouse. Most of them are old enough that compassion and respect for others aren’t things they care about anymore.”

He’d known that Magnus’ illegal contract was horrible but now he realized how risky it was as well. If one of the older Archangels somehow got ahold of the parchment and was able to take control of it… who knows what hell would befall the Earth. They could order Magnus to do any number of horrible things in a bid for more power or territory and he’d be forced to obey or burn from the inside as he’d done with Alec’s accidental order. The warlock would hate being a pawn like that… and he’d hate himself for not being able to end the destruction that he would bring. 

“Keir and I are trying to find a way to break your contract.” He said after a moment, lowering his voice even though he knew that no one was listening. Some conversations just seemed better suited for a whisper. “The magic that binds you is old and we don’t want to risk hurting you by just lighting the thing on fire. He’s going to make some polite inquiries to other members of the Cadre...as a neutral party, the request will look a little less suspicious coming from him. I wasn’t around when these were popular, I have no knowledge of my own regarding their inner workings.”

Magnus stared at him, a look of shock on his face that he didn’t bother trying to school. “You’d do that...for me?” Robert and Maryse had always assured him that this was permanent, that he’d  _ needed _ the extra supervision for his own good but now there was a possible end in sight? If Alec could release him from the contract, he’d no longer be tied to New York or the New York Institute. He could travel, he could do what he wanted...he could just be MAGNUS again. He wasn’t even sure if he remembered who Just Magnus was anymore. He’d been so young when this whole situation had begun. 

“Of course I would. I’ve already said the contract is illegal and inhumane. Why would I force that on you any longer than I had to?” Magnus felt his heart swell and had to bite back a whimper. This boy (hey, he looked young though Magnus was quite sure Alec was hundreds of years older than himself,) this beautiful, wonderful, remarkable boy actually...cared about HIM. That was something no one outside of Ragnor, Cat and Raphael had ever done.

At some point during the conversation, Alec had gotten up and walked around to perch once more on the edge of the desk in front of him. Magnus looked up into kind hazel eyes and knew that he was about to make another decision that Raphael would consider ‘stupider than normal for him.’ He stood up, pausing only a moment before grabbing the Archangel by the lapels and pulling him closer.

Alec was taller than Magnus by a couple of inches and the warlock had to stand on his tip-toes to reach but when their lips met, everything was instantly forgotten. There was no bloodborne Archangel running rampant and committing horrid atrocities, no dubious contract that was possibly more dangerous than either of them had previously imagined, no angel and downworld customs that they had to abide by...just Alec and Magnus.

Magnus may have made the first move but the Archangel pulled him close with a ferocity that he hadn’t been expecting. There was no hesitation on either of their parts, just an unbridled need for more. Alec’s breath quicked as the kiss deepened and his grip on Magnus’ waist tightened. Magnus leaned into the touch, eager to feel the warmth of the angel’s body.

Alec pulled away first, just far enough that he could see Magnus’ eyes, the glamor gone now that the warlock’s control had faltered. “Hi,” Magnus breathed, as one of the angel’s hands came up to cup the side of his face, his thumb stroking gently under one cat eye.

“Hi,” Alec replied with a soft smile and warmth behind his eyes. His hand fell back to the warlock’s waist and he leaned forward to rest his forehead on Magnus’. They stood there for a moment, eyes closed, breathing in each other, neither willing to ruin the moment that it seemed they both so desperately needed. 

“Thank you for not killing me,” Magnus started, figuring that they needed to talk. As much as he wanted to stay here, now, in this moment, they still needed to act like adults and not lovesick teenagers. “That was probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done. And thank you for seeing more than just my magic. It’s been a long time since anyone has.”

“I could never hurt you.” He frowned and Magnus resisted the urge to pull him back in for another kiss just to get the expression off his face. “ I’ve wanted to do that since the first day at your loft but I didn’t want to scare you away. And you’re special, Magnus… not because of your father or your magic or any of that...you make me feel a little bit human, I guess. I’m not particularly old for an Archangel but time still has a way of getting to us all.”

Magnus let the silence linger for just a hair longer before stepping back with a cough. “I should probably get going. I’m sure you have very important Archangel business to get to and I saw your sister on the way over here. She said she should have the lab results by now. I’d love to see if there was something I missed yesterday, anything we can do to prevent another tragedy…”

Alec sighed, wishing that it weren’t true. “You’re right. I should check on Jace and Clary...and I have a call I should really be making.” A call he very much didn’t want to make, if he was honest, but he needed answers and there was one guaranteed place that he could get them. “I’ll meet up with you later… maybe we can have drinks? And my offer from yesterday still stands… you’re more than welcome to stay here. We have plenty of guest rooms.”

“Drinks later would be lovely. I think we could both use a little relaxation after the chaos of the last few days.” Magnus replied, secretly hoping that drinks would possibly lead to a longer kiss.

“Let me walk you to the lab then. I’ll check on my brother on the way back. After you, Mr. Bane.” Alec pushed open the door and waved his arm towards the exit with a flourish. 

“Why thank you, Mr. Lightwood.” Magnus replied with a wink, following the Archangel into the hall.

When they got to the lab, they found Izzy surrounded by a few of the Institute technicians. As soon as she noticed their presence, she grabbed a tablet and walked over to join them. “I’ll leave you with my sister to see what you two can dig up and I’ll see you tonight for drinks.” 

Alec turned quickly before he could see his sister’s reaction but he could practically feel Izzy’s smug expression staring at him as he walked away. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

“How is she?” Alec asked quietly, as he slipped into the private medical room that had been set aside for Clary. They were still keeping her discovery private, at least until she woke up and could provide them with some more information. Valentine was an Ancient and Alec didn’t want to point fingers until he had bonafide proof. If it came down to a fight between the two of them, he was certain he wouldn’t come out victorious and he couldn’t count on the rest of the Cadre taking his side. Their loyalties tended to be to themselves alone. 

“She’s healing,” Jace replied, standing up to pull his brother into a hug. “Keir said she has a long way to go still but she will get better. We couldn’t have done it without Magnus. For all we say us angels are better than the downworld, it doesn’t seem like that is always the case.” Jace frowned, pausing to push Clary’s hair behind her ear. “We’ve never considered calling a warlock to heal an angel before...maybe we should start.”

His brother was right. Their protocol now was to consult one of the Institute healers and if the injury was too bad for an angelic patient, to call in Keir from their Sanctuary. If a vampire or a wolf in their employ got injured, the Institute healers would sort them as best as they could. Idris was far and they couldn’t always wait for Keir. Alec knew they lost a lot of the downworlders in their employ because they couldn’t receive proper care and were often seen as expendable. “I know. I’m starting to see a lot of our traditions aren’t exactly practical. I think I’m in a unique position to change that, I think. And you’re right about Magnus...Magnus is...quite magical.”

Jace grinned, slapping him on the shoulder. “Oh, it’s like that is it?”

Alec groaned, almost instantly regretting his previous words. “Oh please, not you too. I’ve already got Izzy and Keir coming at me. Can’t I get just a moment of peace? I’m your boss, you should fear and respect me.”

“Not a chance, Alec. I’m also your brother. If anyone deserves to be happy it’s you.”

“It might be more than that,” Alec said with a frown, eyes flicking back towards the door. Jace waited for him to explain and he sighed. “Just look.” He lifted his wing so his secondary feathers were visible. “It’s gotten larger since Keir looked at it yesterday he doesn’t think it’s injured...or dangerous.”

Jace’s eyes instantly zeroed in on the patch of feathers that were now cobalt blue color tipped in silver as opposed to the black and silver of the rest of his wings. “That’s from where Magnus’ magic got you?” 

“Yes, and no. My power ricocheted off his shield. He didn’t mean it and I obviously wasn’t myself.” His brother’s fingers ran across the feathers as he inspected them closer, an intimacy that was reserved for his siblings alone. Well, his siblings and maybe Magnus one day. One day SOON, hopefully.

“And you’re sure it doesn’t hurt?”

“No… Keir said…” Alec paused, taking a few seconds to compose his thoughts before taking a deep breath and meeting his brother’s eyes. “Jace, I think I might love him.”


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As soon as Alec left the room, Isabelle turned toward Magnus with a mischievous grin on her face. “I see you two worked out your problems,” She stated with a laugh, circling around him like a shark in the water. “That took...two days? Two days and a little bit of danger, it seems. Sounds like you both have a type.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER DESCRIBES WHAT WAS FOUND IN THE WAREHOUSE EARLIER. 
> 
> I tried not to make it graphic but it DOES discuss the murder of children - you have been warned.

As soon as Alec left the room, Isabelle turned toward Magnus with a mischievous grin on her face. “I see you two worked out your problems,” She stated with a laugh, circling around him like a shark in the water. “That took...two days? Two days and a little bit of danger, it seems. Sounds like you both have a type.”

“It’s inconsequential,” He mumbled, reaching for the tablet that she held in her hand. “I thought I was here to go over the results of what your team found in the warehouse, not discuss my personal life.” Discussing his sex life or lack-there-of with an angel would have been right up there on Raphael’s list of very stupid things that he had done recently.

“Oh, is that so? Well, you’ve got angel dust on your jacket,” She ran her finger through the glittery grey substance on the sleeve of his jacket though it didn’t seem to want to budge.

“I’m sure that was a mistake,” Magnus replied quickly, turning his head away from her so she couldn’t see the red he was sure was coming to his cheeks.

“Oh, I don’t know. Angels don’t exactly produce angel dust as a simple mistake and trust me, my brother can be pretty possessive when he wants to be.”

Magnus lost his fight at holding back a blush and wondered if he should magic his jacket clean. He didn’t have any personal experience with angel dust but the Downworld talked. Not every angel had the ability to produce it and it was coveted by both nearly all non-angelic creatures. A single speck was worth more than a diamond and highly sought after for both its exotic taste and its aphrodisiac properties. 

It didn’t take him long to decide that no, he wasn’t going to magic the sparkling grey off. He was going to leave it. The idea of people knowing that he belonged to Alexander Lightwood, Archangel of New York  _ did _ things to him. He coughed and ignored the very pleased expression on Isabelle’s face. “Right, well. Tablet, please, my dear. Let’s see what your very professional forensics lab has turned up without the use of magic.

She handed it over without another word and went to put the corresponding results up on a larger screen while he reviewed the information in his hand. 

“As we saw at the site, it was too clean for Malachi to have fully entered Bloodthrall. He’s still making too many calculated moves. This was planned out, almost meticulously so.” She flipped quickly through a few pictures of the scene, taking care not to linger too long on the young bodies that they had found. That warehouse would haunt all of them for the rest of their immortal lives. 

“It’s likely they’d been there for at least a week. Not one was younger than twelve or older than sixteen...malnourished, dehydrated, and missing almost all of their blood. We can’t tell if he consumed it or just drained it…” He could hear the heartbreak in her voice as she paused at the last photo of the ten little beds stained with red that they had found. 

“I can’t help but worry that this is a direct attack on Alec,” she whispered after a moment, almost absent-mindedly. 

Magnus’ heart froze and his head shot up. “What do you mean?”

“He was… is… great with kids. Even when my parents had him out in the field all the time, he always found any opportunity to go back to the Refuge and help with the little ones as often as he could. We treasure children because they’re so rare for us but even with that, some of the Archangels always thought he was being far too kind. If anyone was going to explode over what we found in that warehouse, it was going to be Alec.”

And explode Alec had...he’d gone Silent and from what Isabelle had said previously, that could have been a very, very bad thing. “What would have happened had we not been able to stop him on that roof?” He asked, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. 

“None of us would have been able to stop him, that’s for sure. He wouldn’t have cared that we were family. He would have wrecked havoc on the city, thousands could have died. Sometimes the one who went Dark can pull themselves back in but more likely they would have sent another Archangel to deal with him before he became too much of an issue. They wouldn’t have just snapped him out of it...he would have been seen as unfit and they would have killed him.” The angel watched as he came to the same conclusions that she had. 

“And his territory?” Magnus knew the answer to the question but still felt the need to ask. 

“It would have been given to one of the Cadre until a more suitable Archangel rose to power...whenever that would have been.”

He thought back to the uneasy feeling he’d gotten when he had realized how close they were to Pandemonium. “I’ve lived in this city long enough to feel the latent magic running through it…” He started hesitantly, trying to choose his words carefully as he entered uncharted territory. “That place was only a few blocks from my club...the SAME club that I typically spend every night at. I should have known something was going on.”

“Magnus, no one holds you accountable…” Izzy started but he held up a hand and cut her off.

“No, you don’t understand. I  _ should _ have known. I could almost taste their terror as soon as we set foot in that place. That kind of fear holds power...a dark, horrible sort of power but a power none-the-less. I should have been able to feel a disturbance in the latent energy running through the city...but I didn’t.”

“Someone warded the building with some very strong wards then,” she replied, realization dawning on her face.

He nodded, eyes glancing back to the information on the monitor behind her. “I’m not sure I could have warded against that much dark magic. Someone definitely didn’t want to be disturbed before they were ready to make their play.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alec quietly let himself into his office and locked the door behind him. He’d let Underhill know that he wasn’t to be disturbed under any circumstances. The call he was about to make was dangerous and the magic involved even more so. 

Tucked away in the corner, beneath a heavy glamor of his own devising was a simple wooden door that led to pitch-black room. There were no windows, no furniture, nothing that would make the room in any way comfortable. It served one purpose and one purpose alone. 

He slipped off his shoes and gently closed and locked the door to the black room. He’d done this only once since becoming an Archangel and it had nearly broken him the first time. At least now he would know what to expect but he still knew it was going to drain him.

Alec took a seat in the middle of the room with a sigh and spread his wings carefully behind him, taking care not to twist any of his feathers. Any external discomfort could break the illusion he was trying to call and hold. Finally satisfied, he closed his eyes and let a sliver of his mental shields down, searching for the familiar, yet unpleasant, mental presence of Valentine. 

After a few minutes, the uncertain waves stopped and gave way to a calm, crystal clear pool. A mental avatar of the older Archangel joined him seconds later. “My, my young Lightwood. This is certainly a surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?” The other man asked smugly. While Alec’s mental image was dressed in the same suit he had on back in the real world, Valentine’s was dressed down. A power play, Alec was sure, to show the younger Archangel that he didn’t feel it necessary to put on a show.

“I’m sure you already know. I know you have your spies in my home just as I have mine in yours.” Alec replied simply, standing at parade rest and holding the position. 

“Yes, I hear you had a little incident at that last scene...one that had some surprising results if the rumors are to be believed.” Valentine reminded Alec of a cat, playing with his supper for hours on end before finally gobbling the little mouse up. He’d always hated that about the man and now that he was an Archangel as well his opinion was certainly no different.

Alec couldn’t justify playing his games, not right now with so much going on in the real world. The Sending was already taxing enough on his mind and his energy, he couldn’t spend precious mental resources with this useless banter. 

“Keir may be an Ancient but he’s not an Archangel. He was able to tell me some… I just need to know what it means. How do I stop it?”  _ How do I stop looking like I’m weak? _ That was the question he wanted to ask though he could never voice it to Valentine.

Valentine huffed, turning to stare across the calm surface of their shared mental landscape. “You don’t. Do not forget that relationships take two...what your feeling isn’t limited to just you...though I’m sure you already know that. You were always a clever boy.” Valentine turned to him with a wicked grin, taking two uncomfortable steps closer to Alec.

“Do you know why angels mostly take angelic lovers?” He continued after a moment of heavy silence. “And why we Archangels tend to play rather than take partners at all? Our power, our very being, is tied to our strength. We’re a step above from the Downworld and worlds away from the Mundanes. We aren’t slaves to our most basic impulses like every other creature on this miserable realm.”

Alec knew the other angel had more to say so he kept his silence.“I had a human lover once, you know? She was beautiful, kind, perfect in absolutely every way...she actually made me feel human.”

“I assume she is no longer with you?” He knew the answer but it was polite conversation to ask.

“Oh no, I had her killed - an archangel can never be human. It happens, rarely, we meet someone who calms the monster in the back of our minds. The barriers fall, the fires ignite, and the minds merge.” Alec didn’t respond and the silence thickened uneasily between them. “You must kill him when his usefulness has served its purpose. If you don’t then he will kill you by making you just a little bit mortal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Valentine's last few lines are taken nearly word for word from Chapter 12 of Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh. 
> 
> If the book is anything to go by, we're about 1/3 of the way through this story. Now it starts to get into the juicy bits.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I told Underhill not to let anyone in…” He was certain he had, especially after what had happened the last time he’d done what he just did. Alec hadn’t wanted to put anyone in any more danger than was absolutely necessary.
> 
> Magnus rolled his eyes and set his book beside him. “He didn’t have to let me in. The wards are mine...they wouldn’t keep me out."

When Alec finally stumbled out of the black room, he barely noticed that Magnus was sitting on his couch quietly reading a book. The Sending absolutely  _ exhausted _ him and he could feel the weariness from his energy reserves, or lack thereof, down to his bones. He needed food and sleep before he’d be any sort of useful to his team, let alone the city of New York. The Archangel stood there blinking for a few moments as his brain caught up with what his eyes were seeing. 

“I told Underhill not to let anyone in…” He was certain he had, especially after what had happened the last time he’d done what he just did. Alec hadn’t wanted to put anyone in any more danger than was absolutely necessary.

Magnus rolled his eyes and set his book beside him. “He didn’t have to let me in. The wards are mine...they wouldn’t keep me out.”

And that...that was another frightening display of power from the warlock that Alec was going to need to go back and examine when he wasn’t so tired. It wasn’t just Magnus’ spells that were built into the building...there were years of Archangelic magic built into the very walls (first from his parents, and then from him.) Even if Magnus’ wards wouldn’t keep him out, the angelic spells alone should have. 

“You shouldn’t be here...it isn’t… it isn’t safe. Not right now.”  _ I don’t want to hurt you again, _ he thought to himself.

Magnus hummed as he made his way over to the Archangel, stopping just far enough that he wasn’t crowding his space. “Your sister wouldn’t tell me what you were doing, only that it would leave you absolutely drained. We have a reason... “ The warlock stopped himself and took a step closer to Alec instead. “Just tell me what can I do to help?”

Alec narrowed his eyes. Magnus’ change mid-sentence hadn’t gone unnoticed. “I really want to know what you were going to say but unless I can manage to start making my brain function a little bit closer to normal, whatever you were going to say would go in one ear and out the other.” That got a smile from the warlock and he pulled the angel closer to him. 

“What can I do to help, Alexander? You took care of me… let me take care of you.”

Alec sighed and allowed his forehead to drop to Magnus’ shoulder. “I need to eat and then get some real sleep...not a nap here in my office. I’m no good to anyone like this.”

Magnus laughed and Alec found himself relaxing into the other man’s embrace. “I highly doubt that. I think you’d pull through if you needed to. I’m sure you have rooms here… would you like me to get your brother or sister to help you up to them?”

The whine that came out of his throat was very unbecoming of an Archangel and was a true testament to just how exhausted Alec was. “No… please. I don’t want Izzy or Jace, I want you. There’s an elevator off to the left, it will go straight to the family suites. Mine is at the top.”

“Alright… do you want me to glamor you before we leave? I’m almost certain that you probably don’t want to be seen looking as exhausted as you are.” Especially if this whole thing was a set up for Alec… but now was definitely not the time to drop that bombshell. That could come after the angel had time to rest.

Alec sighed and gave himself a count to three. “No, I got it…” He lifted his head and took a step back, squaring his shoulders and putting on his normal bored expression. “Let’s just go.”

Underhill raised an eyebrow as he left his office with the warlock who was supposed to be down in the lab with his sister. “ _ Long story… I’m heading upstairs to get some real rest. You know what the Sending does to me. Izzy and Jace are still on deck unless someone starts burning something down or someone else dies.”  _ He barely had enough strength for the mental message but he didn’t want to waste time with the conversation. He got Underhill’s acknowledgment as the elevator doors closed. 

He shut his eyes briefly and reached out to his sister as well. “ _ Don’t think we’re not going to talk about you sending Magnus to me…”  _ Her amusement flooded back at him briefly and he continued, “ _ but thank you.” _

When the doors opened with a ding, he stumbled into his suite, pulling the warlock behind him. Magnus paused in the doorway, unsure if he should follow the Archangel into his space but Alec didn’t give him a choice. This floor had once belonged to his parents and they’d kept everything with crisp lines and sterile colors, preferring a much more modern look. Alec had never liked how cold that had felt and had tried to do what he could to make it feel more like home in the short time he’d been in power. 

The color of the walls had been changed from grey to gold and the tile floors had been replaced with wood covered with ornate carpets. He’d had his people hang some paintings, a few from Jocelyn and Clary at the very least, and they’d gotten the bookshelves up with most of his books on them but a lot of his stuff was still in boxes or in various storage units across the country. He hadn’t had time to decorate like he truly wanted and he probably wouldn’t for a very long time if this thing with Malachai didn’t end soon.

He bypassed the kitchen, the living room, and his office and pulled Magnus back towards the bedroom. Once the warlock realized where they were heading, he tried to slam on the brakes and Alec sighed. “Magnus, please. I just need to sleep. Sit with me? The Sending drains every last bit of energy I have. While I’d like to properly take you to bed at some point, I owe you dinner first at the very least and I’m afraid I won’t be able to make good on that promise tonight. This is only the second time I’ve had to do this… and I forgot how horrible it makes me feel.”

Magnus seemed to relax but hesitated once inside the room. “I thought you wanted to eat first?”

“I should...but I’m too tired to make the call downstairs to the kitchen. Maybe I’ll do things out of order this time...sleep first, food later. As long as both happen, I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Well then it’s a very good thing that I’m here,” Magnus replied, blue sparks appearing as he wiggled his fingers. “There are perks of being a warlock, my dear. In this case, your wish is my command. What would you like to eat for dinner?”

Alec wasn’t sure what Magnus planned on doing but played along as he stepped into his bathroom to change into something more comfortable. “Thai?” He threw on a pair of sweatpants but left his shirt off, coming back into the bedroom in time to watch Magnus snap his fingers and a plethora of take-out containers appear on the table in the middle of the room. 

The Archangel was left speechless for the second time that evening and he really was far too tired to process any of this tonight. He knew that the magic Magnus was doing should be  _ impossible  _ in certain parts of the building and the two places that were seeped in the most Archangelic energy - the Head’s office and his private quarters - should not respond to the warlock the way that they were. He’d leave that matter for another day. “Where did this come from?”

“A Thai restaurant around the street from my loft. It’s one of my favorite places to order from,” Magnus replied with a smile as he set about opening all the containers.

Alec’s eyes narrowed but he grabbed a plate regardless and started piling food on to it. He was far too hungry to really argue the ethics of it right now. “Did you steal it?”

“Alexander,” Magnus replied with exaggerated shock. “I would never! I’m an honest warlock! I left money in the till.” 

“Uh huh…” He wasn’t entirely certain the other man was telling the truth but he had to admit the food was delicious and it would certainly do the job. Magnus made himself a plate as well and they ate in silence, Alec’s eyes growing heavier as the minutes passed. 

“I think it’s time for you to get some rest,” Magnus said softly as he helped the Archangel to bed once they were done. Alec face-planted into the pillows and rubbed his chin against the soft fabrics, already drifting closer to unconsciousness. 

“Can you stay? Please…? I haven’t been able to get any real sleep since I ascended but… I think I can relax with you here.”

“Of course, Alexander. If that’s what you wish.”

It most certainly was what he wished and Alec found himself drifting off to sleep moments later.

Magnus didn’t want to snoop around the Archangel’s suite but his conversation with Isabelle sat uncomfortably in the back of his mind. If this was somehow a direct attack on Alexander, then was the man ever truly safe? Of course, he knew that there was nothing actually  _ safe _ about what Alec did, being one of the ten most powerful people in the world had its own set of problems...and Magnus could barely even start to comprehend those. 

But could he help? He’d already strengthened the wards downstairs. They were far stronger than they had ever been before. Could he place additional means of protection in Alec’s private suites?

He stepped out of the room, certain the Archangel wouldn’t be waking for at least a few hours, and silently padded down the hall. Alec’s rooms were warm, if sparse, and he figured that he hadn’t had time to truly move in with as fast as the last few weeks had apparently been moving. Magnus paused in the middle of the living room and slowly turned around. He could see his base wards on the building as well as a shimmer of something else...he knew the angels did have some of their own magic. He couldn’t quite see the spells, no matter which way he squinted his eyes so he had to assume it had something to do with that. 

He took a seat in the middle of the room and shifted until he was comfortable, then closed his eyes and reached for the latent energy around the Institute and Alec’s private suite. Slowly and delicately, he started to weave extra layers of protection through the very core of the building, losing himself in the ebb and flow of his magic.

Alec awoke six hours later feeling better than he had in weeks. He still needed more sleep but at least now he didn’t feel like he was falling apart at the edges. Magnus was nowhere be found and he couldn’t put it past the warlock if he’d slipped out while Alec was resting. He stepped out into his living room and was surprised to find the man sitting with his eyes closed and his legs crossed in the middle of the floor. 

“Did you... change something?” He asked, frowning as he looked around the room. Something was different, he just couldn’t put his finger on exactly  _ what _ that was.

Magnus opened his eyes, smiling up at the angel from his position on the floor. “Just some extra protection spells, nothing to worry about.”

“The fact that you feel extra protection spells are necessary after you already upgraded the wards is what has me worried, not the fact that you are putting them up in the first place… though that’s a different topic of conversation. Is there something I should know?” Alec asked, reaching out a hand to help Magnus off the ground. 

The warlock sighed and let the Archangel help him to his feet. “Yes, though I feel that it’s a conversation best had with your siblings and anyone else in your inner circle… your sister and I have a theory and I’m fairly certain you’re not going to like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conversations need to be had...
> 
> It's only fair that they get a break first!


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Apparently, Isabelle and Magnus have a theory...some sort of theory that requires secrecy and additional warding on my private quarters while I was taking a nap,” He started in lieu of a greeting. “Do either of you want to start explaining what’s going on? Or at least what you think is going on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look. I have absolutely no excuse for myself.
> 
> But if I had to make one, blame Blizzard.

Alec could tell that whatever this conversation was about to be, it was not one to be had anywhere near curious ears. He sent a quick text to his sister, Jace, and Underhill and asked them to meet him in his suite which was, now more so than ever if Magnus’ additional warding was anything to go by, the most secure place in the entirety of the New York Insitute. He wasn’t surprised when his sister let herself in a few minutes later. Isabelle had never really understood what the word boundaries had meant. She collapsed onto his couch and made small talk with Magnus until the other two arrived shortly after. 

“Apparently, Isabelle and Magnus have a theory...some sort of theory that requires secrecy and additional warding on my private quarters while I was taking a nap,” He started in lieu of a greeting. “Do either of you want to start explaining what’s going on? Or at least what you  _ think _ is going on?”

Izzy and Magnus shot each other a look, seemingly coming to a silent agreement over who would launch an in-depth explanation. Neither moved for a few moments and Alec raised an eyebrow. His sister sighed and pushed herself off the couch, getting a smirk from the warlock before he turned to the rest of the room. “Before we begin, I feel like this is a conversation best had over cocktails.” He snapped his fingers and a fully loaded bar cart appeared in the middle of the room. “Drink, anyone? I make a mean martini.”

Alec noticed that Underhill frowned at the magic use and made a mental note to have that discussion with Magnus sooner rather than later. If the warlock hadn’t spent that much time around their kind or at the Institute outside of the wards repair, he’d have no way of knowing that what he was doing should be impossible. 

“I think we need to start with what the forensics team found,” Izzy started as she held her hand out for one of Magnus’ drinks. “The children were all within four years of each other. They were found completely drained of blood - we are making the assumption that the blood was drained rather than consumed because the site was way too neat to have been the result of a bloodlust feeding. From what we can tell, they were in that building for at least a week and probably dead for at least a day or two.”

“At this point,” Magnus took over, handing out drinks to everyone else, “I think it’s worth noting that I have a club a few blocks from that warehouse,” He glanced at Alec with a smile, “but I’m sure you already knew that from my file. The kind of pain, both emotional and physical, those children were experiencing...that’s its own sort of magic. Dark, twisted, cruel magic but magic nonetheless. I should have been able to feel that in the very bones of the city...but I didn’t.”

“It was warded by a warlock then, We would have felt another Archangel using that much magic in New York and regular angels don’t have that ability,” Underhill replied, carefully setting his drink to the side.

“Right you are, my fine feathered friend,” Magnus winked at him before his face twisted into a frown. “At least about the warlock. I didn’t know that Archangels were able to do that. I’m starting to think there’s not a lot you need me for.”

“Of course we need you, Magnus. That’s why we hired you to begin with. If we were able to do what you can do, we wouldn’t have needed to do that in the first place.” He grabbed the warlock’s hand and gave it a squeeze, getting a small smile out of the other man. 

“My point,” Magnus continued, “Is that any warlock worth a damn within a mile of that warehouse should have been able to feel the evil that place was radiating...but we didn’t. It was warded and glamored and wrapped up tight until someone was ready for you to find it. Then it was delivered to you in a nice, pretty package. Who  _ did _ report that building, by the way?”

“One of the newer vampires… he’s only been under contract for a few years. I believe he was one of the last made by Hodge before he… you know.” Took off, disappeared, slept… no one was really certain what exactly had happened to the older angel. He’d simply vanished one day. They’d sent search parties for him but when no leads were found it was simply assumed that he’d gone to Sleep… even if he was still a few hundred years too young to be that world-weary. “He said he could smell blood.”

“Granted, I wasn’t there but all your reports say that there wasn’t any blood. At least not enough for a young vampire to smell from outside. There were wolves who responded with the ground team and even  _ they _ couldn’t smell anything I’m told,” Jace replied, throwing back the rest of his drink and gesturing for Magnus to make him another one. 

“Can you have that vampire brought in for questioning?” Alec asked, receiving a nod from Underhill.

“Alec,” Izzy said softly, her eyes sad as she turned to her brother, “who else would have reacted the same way that you did on the roof? You’re still new… and everyone knows you have a soft spot for kids. Can you honestly say that mom and dad would have gone Dark after finding that? Or any of the other archangels? Someone wanted you to see that and lose control...someone wanted to see you fail.”

“You think it’s a setup.” He didn’t want to jump to any conclusions but it made sense, especially with the way the evidence they were providing was lining up. His line of work had shown him how truly ruthless the oldest angels could be...he just didn’t expect that they would make their move so soon.

“What else can it be, Alexander? You only ascended a couple of weeks ago and your city is immediately assaulted. You’ve got a crazy Archangel leaving you bodies a few blocks from your sanctum, Jace’s missing girlfriend is miraculously found nearly dead, also in your territory, at the same exact time and you haven’t even fully settled into your new role and abilities. They wanted you spread so thin that you had no choice but to snap and take your city with you.” Magnus’ voice was soft as he made his point.“With Malachi out the picture and no new archangels, who takes over his territory?”

“Valentine has temporary control until a new archangel ascends.”

“And if you had gone Dark and Magnus hadn’t been able to stop you, and another archangel was sent in to kill you, who could control your territory?” Another piece of the puzzle was starting to slot into place as his sister spoke.

“It goes to the closest Archangel, Iz. You know this.”

“Except the closest Archangel would be mom, Alec, and she’s still missing. It’s only a matter of time that you take over  _ her _ territory and relieve her second. Archangels don’t ascend every day. So...you essentially control both North and South America. That’s an awful lot of territory for someone to gain if you were out of the picture.” Isabelle crossed her arms, her wings tense behind her in what Alec knew to be her ‘I know I’m right but I don’t expect you to believe me’ pose.

“So who would take over?” Magnus asked - the only one in the room who didn’t have an insight into the politics of the angels.

“Aldertree...or Valentine, I suppose, if you count Malachi’s territory into his. It depends on which part of the country you’re considering ‘closest’ - the eastern border or the western border. If I had to guess though, probably Aldertree since Valentine is already holding on to two territories temporarily.”

“With you out of the picture, your mother still missing, and Malachi Bloodborn… the Cadre of Ten would have become the Cadre of Seven. Three archangels couldn’t possibly ascend any time soon. Hell, we probably won’t see anyone ascend for another few hundred years.  _ You _ were a surprise, Alec, and no one else is even close to the power level you were at.”  _ Jace will, _ Alec thought as Underhill spoke. He couldn’t say how he knew but he could tell that he would eventually become an Archangel himself...but he still was quite a ways off before his body was physically able to handle the power that came with it.

“You think this is just one big powerplay? Why now? They’ve had thousands of years to do this.”

“I think there are multiple pieces in play,” Magnus replied, coming up beside him and lightly bumping him with his arm. Alec could feel something warm and happy bubble under his skin at the contact. “Or there are multiple players in the game.

“I don’t think Malachi made the decision to come to New York and make a mess himself. He might still have most of his wits about him right now but he’s still Bloodborn. New York is pretty far from Russia… and to leave a scene like that right in the heart of another Archangel’s territory? That’s either a message or a distraction. Someone was whispering into his ear…”

“How did your meeting with Valentine go?” Underhill asked, seemingly changing the topic as the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Alec sometimes found himself forgetting that Andrew had spent the same time slipping through the shadows and gathering snippets of information that he had. He guessed the spy was sharing the doubts that had been lingering in the back of Alec’s mind for the last few months.

“About as expected,” Alec muttered, unconsciously tucking his wings closer to his body. 

“Nothing he said screamed that he had a nefarious plot for world domination in the works?”

Alec sighed, rubbing his temples to fight off the incoming migraine. “No more than usual. He’s always been slightly unhinged since I’ve known him...that’s what happens when you’re nearly 9000 years old.”

“I think the best thing to do would be to play it close to our chest. We’ll keep dealing with things as they come up but try to remember to look at it as part of a bigger picture. I have no doubt that Malachi will make another move soon. And Alec? You don’t go anywhere alone, especially not until we know exactly who we can trust.”

“I don’t need a babysitter - I’m an Archangel. I can take care of myself.”

“But that doesn’t mean you  _ should. _ You have people who care about you who would do anything to keep you safe. At least until the threats have been dealt with and you’ve had time to settle into your role, you should be keeping a guard. Hell, most of the other Archangels do even in times of peace...you know this.”

Underhill was right. He  _ knew _ Underhill was right but he didn’t want to be the other Archangels. Times were changing and they couldn’t keep doing things the way that they had always been done. He thought back to what had happened on that roof...how bad things could have been had Magnus, by some stroke of luck, not managed to snap him out of his own head.

“Alec,” Izzy started softly, making her way across the room and taking his hand with a squeeze. The tips of their wings brushed in an intimate gesture reserved for family. “Let us do this for you - we’re not asking you to have the entire Institute watching your back. You’ve got me and Jace, Andrew… Clary when she heals,” She paused, glancing towards where the warlock was now perched on the edge of the couch. “You have Magnus now too.”

“Recall Lydia,” he said, turning his attention to Andrew, the amber-winged angel slipping into business mode immediately. “We can’t pull too many people in too quickly without it seeming like an obvious insecurity on our parts. See if you can find someone else who can slip into Imogen’s without too much of a fuss.”

He glanced around at his assembled team, “And all of you get back to work. I’ll be down in a bit. First, I need to talk to Magnus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any mistakes. It's been a while.


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “As flattered as I am that you want me alone in your private quarters, why do I feel that I’m not going to like the direction this conversation is going?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey - there wasn't that long of a wait this time.

As soon as the door shut, the warlock turned to him with a frown. “As flattered as I am that you want me alone in your private quarters, why do I feel that I’m not going to like the direction this conversation is going?”

“It’s not terrible, I promise,” Alec sighed, trying to figure out where the best place to start was. “I guess the first thing we need to discuss is the magic.”

“The magic? I’m a warlock...magic is sort of what I do.” He could hear Magnus’ tone change and knew the warlock was taking offense to his request. 

“I know and I’m not asking you to  _ not _ do it, just...remember what we talked about downstairs? Not letting anyone else know about your father? You’re doing some things that you really shouldn’t be able to do.”

A soft ‘oh’ left Magnus’ lips and he furrowed his brow, trying to replay the last few days. “I haven’t done anything particularly...hard,” he said after a moment. “Outside of the wards, most of what I’ve done has been relatively simple spells that any warlock could do. I mean, even the wards aren’t that complex - it’s just every warlock tends to build theirs a little differently.”

“It’s not really what you’re doing...it’s where.” He pulled a stool over towards the couch so he was facing Magnus and took a seat, letting his wings drag on the floor behind him in a way that was truly unbecoming of an Archangel but Alec didn’t care. He was mostly alone in his room and if he wanted to be lazy, he damn well was going to be. Surely no one could blame him for being exhausted after the complete and utter mayhem the last couple of days had brought. “Your wards aren’t the only protections on the building...there are years and years of Archangelic magic built in the very walls.”

Magnus glanced behind him and Alec figured he was trying to see through his spells to what was laying below. “My parents’ magic was on the building first, and then mine...the two places that we spend most of our time would be absolutely steeped in it. Even regular angels with special abilities would find it hard to use their own powers there...you broke through without any difficulty. I’ve watched Izzy and Jace struggle under the weight of those spells and it just rolled off of you like it was nothing.”

Magnus thought about that for a moment before wincing, “Your office...and here. You’re saying I shouldn’t be able to use magic in either place and I can...it wasn’t even particularly hard. There wasn’t any sort of resistance so I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Exactly - summoning dinner, drinks...getting into my office even though I locked it down. You shouldn’t have been able to do any of that.” Alec watched as Magnus processed the information he’d just been given. “And I’m not saying to  _ stop _ using your magic - I wouldn’t ask that of you. Just be very careful with who you use it in front of until we get a better idea of who we can trust. My siblings, Underhill, Lydia when she gets here...they’re all fine. Everyone else I can’t be sure of just yet, as much as I hate to admit it. Especially with everything else that’s going on right now.”

Alec sighed, rolling his shoulders and trying to release some of the tension in his wings. “Duly noted,” Magus said after a moment, his eyes fixated on Alec’s feathers. “I will be extra careful with what spells I perform and who I perform them around.”

With that done, there was only one more thing that Alec had to ask, and this one he was not looking forward to. “I want to preface this by saying I’m not mad, so please try to remember that but I do have to ask...back on the roof, you only used defensive magic, right? Nothing more than a shield?”

Magnus’ brow furrowed and he took a quick step back. “A simple shield at that, I would never -”

Alec grabbed Magnus’ hand and pulled him in close before he could get himself worked up. “Please, Magnus, try to relax. I’m not angry,” He lifted his now tri-colored wing, revealing the blue feathers where he had been hit, “I just wanted to make sure. This should have healed by now - it’s got Keir and I both stumped. And before you start panicking, I’m not in any pain. It’s just visual, I promise.”

The warlock’s eyes widened and he reached his fingers towards the blue feathers, only to catch himself and pull his hand back sharply. You never touched an angel’s wings without their permission and he was sure that was doubly true for an Archangel. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”

Alec smiled softly, pulling the scarred wing a little closer while his other one instinctually curled around them. “Do you need to convince yourself that it’s real and not an illusion? You can touch, Magnus, it’s fine.”  _ One day I hope you’ll do much more than that,  _ he thought to himself as the warlock took a hesitant step forward. 

Magnus reached out cautiously, hoping that this wasn’t some sort of a trap. He didn’t think Alec would set him up like that but he couldn’t shake the fear that was settling in the pit of his stomach. When his fingers hit the feathers a soft ‘oh’ escaped his lips and he gently and he gently ran his fingers across the cobalt blue. “I didn’t realize they’d be so soft.” He pulled his hand away after a moment and found they’d been covered in sparkling grey. “Angel dust?”

Alec laughed, a mischievous look in his eyes. “Taste it.”

Magnus looked up, now fully aware of the other wing that was now wrapping around them. “Taste?”

“Why do you think people pay a fortune for it?” Alec asked, not so subtly shedding more of the glittering substance and watching it settle on Magnus’ skin. That pleased him far more than it should, he realized. 

“I thought it was a status thing - you know, look at my vial of angel dust, it’s bigger than yours.” He’d seen it plenty of times in his club, of course, but he never thought too much about it. “It tastes...good?”

Alec hummed, his eyes closing as he sunk into the comfortable feeling of having Magnus here in his arms. “Some would even call it a drug.”

Magnus froze, all the times he’d seen this on display at Pandemonium crossing his mind. He realized that Alec must have felt his tension as the Archangel opened his eyes and tilted Magnus’ head up. 

“Not that kind of drug. It has no narcotic or other effects on the brain. It’s simply the taste. Go ahead - try it. You’ll see what I mean.”

Cautiously, Magnus’ tongue flicked out and he took a small taste of the silver substance. 

_ Ambrosia.  _

Magnus felt his body react instantly and while he certainly wanted nothing more than to lose himself in bliss, he realized that this was most certainly not the ideal time for it. He coughed, taking a step back to put some much-needed distance between himself and the Archangel who was starting to drive him mad. “And you just go around  _ shedding _ this stuff? I’m surprised anyone can even get anything done knowing that this exists.”

The Archangel laughed, tucking his wings back against his body and letting the warlock have his space. “Oh no, this is a special blend just for you. What we usually shed is apparently comparable to the most delicious chocolates or the finest wines. At least...that’s what I’m told. Angel dust has no effect on other angels.”

Magnus stepped back into his space, another digit finding its way to his lips as he licked off the glitter. “And this ‘ _ special blend _ ’?”

Alec just hummed in response, pulling Magnus in for a kiss. “This blend is all about lust.” He lost himself in Magnus, enjoying what he knew would only be a brief reprieve from the chaos that would soon follow. Sure enough, he felt a panicked ping hit his mental shields only moments later, instantly putting him on alert. The warlock must have noticed the change because he took a step back, concern written in his eyes. 

“Alec? Is everything okay?”

He didn’t wait to give the younger man an answer, heading towards the balcony and stepping outside. He threw out a mental net, trying to get a better location on what was waiting for him before taking off into the sky, leaving a stunned Magnus following him outside. 

The warlock heard the front door open behind him and whipped around, magic already gathering in his fingertips. He relaxed once Jace let himself inside and strolled out onto the balcony. 

“While I hate to interrupt whatever  _ this _ is,” he started, noticing that Magnus was practically covered in angel dust and knowing exactly how possessive his brother could be when he wanted to, “Where’s Alec?”

Magnus simply pointed up and Jace scanned the dark skies looking for any sign of the archangel. He knew Alec would have asked for backup if he was worried about meeting danger in the air. He reached out mentally and was met with a wall and a hint of acknowledgment. Alec knew he was there but he was preoccupied.

_ In a minute, Jace. _ He waited with Magnus on the balcony, the tension growing and he looked for any sign that Alec would be joining them soon...what he had to tell him couldn’t really wait. 

Jace was just about to take to the air himself when the Archangel touched down gently a few minutes later. “Alec, they’ve found more bodies,” he said simply when Alec had both feet on solid ground. 

“Where?”

“Brooklyn, There were - “

“Seven,” Alec interrupted, already moving towards the front door, knowing that Magnus and Jace would follow without needing to be told to. “Jia received their hearts special-delivery this morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins....
> 
> Alec and Magnus' conversation about angel dust as well as Jace and Alec's exchange at the very end were both taken from Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh.


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus stood in the open door with a furrowed brow. “It’s barely any magic at all...but if you don’t want me to portal us then how do you suggest we get there? I can’t imagine the wings make travel by car that easy.” It was probably impossible, Magnus thought. When was the last time he’d seen an angel travel by car? 
> 
> The Archangel held out a hand, a grin plastered across his face. “Air Alec, at your service. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like with the first chapter where they came across some pretty horrible things, I tried to keep this vague enough and not too graphic.

“Jace, work with Underhill and get a team over there ASAP. Have Izzy get her people together - I’ve got no doubt that we’ll need forensics as well.” Jace split off once the elevator doors opened and headed towards the Ops room. “Magnus, with me,” Alec paused, a frown on his face as he heard the order he’d just given. “Please. Will you come with me please?” He slipped into his office and opened the bay doors behind the desk, hoping that was enough to circumvent the contract’s magic.

“I can portal us, it’s certainly quicker,” Magnus replied, a few steps behind him but ready to go.

“Save your energy, I’m not sure what we’ll find there but I want you at 100%. I’m sure a portal is barely any magic to you but if we’re about to fight a war, every little bit counts.” Alec didn’t think that they would come face to face with Malachi, at least not yet, but with the way the last few days had been going, he was erring on the side of caution. 

Magnus stood in the open door with a furrowed brow. “It’s barely any magic at all...but if you don’t want me to portal us then how do you suggest we get there? I can’t imagine the wings make travel by car that easy.” It was probably impossible, Magnus thought. When was the last time he’d seen an angel travel by car? 

The Archangel held out a hand, a grin plastered across his face. “Air Alec, at your service. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”   


Magnus waited for only a beat before taking his hand. “Not afraid of heights, no, but I’ll say this will certainly be a first so please don’t drop me. I may be immortal but gravity is still a cruel mistress.”

“Trust me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Alec swept his arm behind Magnus and picked him up. “Hold tight and, uh… I’d sort of keep your face turned towards me. The wind can be pretty brutal once we’re in the air.”

“Oh no, I’ll be forced to look at your pretty face? However will I cope?” Magnus asked with a smirk as he wrapped his hands around Alec’s neck and pulled himself a little closer. “Is this okay?”

“Perfect,” The angel replied, taking a step closer to the edge before launching them in the air. Magnus’ heart nearly jumped from his chest at the take-off and he found himself squeezing his eyes shut and clinging to Alec a little tighter. “Sorry, I forget that it’s a lot for someone not used to being in the air. We’ll be there shortly. You should take a look though - you won’t get a view like this anywhere else.”

Magnus opened his eyes and blinked against the wind. Alec had been right - it was brutal up here but as he turned his head, he realized that it was worth it. “That is...incredible.” The lights of the city twinkled below, providing a view that only the angels were privy to. Sure, travel by plane was a thing but this? This was different. You weren’t hidden behind glass observing from a distance - you were  _ living  _ it.

“I thought you’d like it - I just wish you weren’t seeing it under such dire circumstances. There’s a lot I’d like to show you.” He’d like to do more than  _ show _ Magnus the view from the sky but that may not be possible when both partners weren’t angels. 

“Well, once all this is said and done... I’d like to see it.” Magnus replied, tucking his head back against Alec’s chest to keep the wind out of his eyes. 

“I haven’t flown this way with anyone since Izzy was little,” Alec replied, instinctively pulling the warlock closer as they hit a strong current.

“I’m sure flying with me is a lot different from flying with your sister.”

Alec laughed, “Well, for one, you aren’t trying to bite me. She was very independent growing up and didn’t understand that her wings were too small to support her. If she saw us doing something then she thought for sure that she could do it too and didn’t want to take no for an answer..” The corners of his mouth flickered with a small smile as he remembered. “She had shark’s teeth, we used to say. I’m sure I still have scars.”

The rest of the flight was quiet as they both found it hard to be heard against the wind. The touchdown was gentle and Alec carefully lowered Magnus’ feet to the ground. Once he steadied himself, the change he felt in the air around him was instant. Death. Destruction.  _ Agony. _ Horrible, unspeakable things had happened here and he dreaded what they would find inside. 

The people that died here did not have quick, painless deaths, Magnus could tell. They suffered until their very last breath. “Alexander,” he started quietly, trying to will himself to walk forward. 

“I know. I feel it too,” Alec responded plainly, cocking his head towards the angel guarding the door. 

“No one’s been in since the initial team, sir,” The young angel with the slate-colored wings said, moving to the right to allow Alec and Magnus entry. 

“Keep everyone outside unless Jace, Izzy, or I say differently.” Alec didn’t wait for a response and ushered Magnus through the door and into the unknown. “I don’t want anything interfering with Magnus’ magic until we know for sure that we’ve got a trace on him.”

Inside, the warehouse was dark and the only sound was the wind blowing against the metal roof. Brooklyn was  _ loud _ and the sounds of the city should be drifting through the windows but there was nothing. He didn’t have to reach out with his magic to know that a silence ward had been placed on the warehouse - no sound got in and no sound got out making the building a perfect house of horrors.

Whatever he had expected to find, what appeared before them was not anything he could have dreamed of in his wildest nightmares. He’d seen a lot of terrible things in his life - war, famine, violence - but it was nearly impossible for him to imagine that one creature could be capable of such cruelty. The scene before them was gruesome...and messy. What they’d seen that first night had been horrible but it had been  _ clean _ down to the very last speck of dust. Everything had been organized and obvious thought had been put behind it. But this? This was nothing more than a bloodbath.

He went to take a step closer to the towering pile in the middle of the room and Alec pulled him back sharply. Magnus glanced at his feet to see the pool or red soaking into the concrete beneath him. “Can you see anything from here? Or feel anything? I can get you closer if you need me to.” The pool had spread to cover a large section of the room. They’d have to take to the air if they needed a closer look unless they wanted to disturb the site. 

Magnus closed his eyes and focused on what he  _ couldn’t  _ see, at least not with his eyes. Like the last scene, the violence had left a stain on the energy of the area. He held out his hands and let his magic spread across the room in a wave of blue. The people, teenagers mostly, whose bodies were stacked in the center had died slowly and painfully. Malachi had taken pleasure in their deaths and he’d done so one by one.

Once he was able to get under the absolute terror that saturated the room there was something else…

It felt like acid - a putrid, slimy feeling that made his skin crawl but behind it, there was the heaviness that he’d learned to recognize that came with archangelic power. There was not a doubt in his mind that this was Malachi’s unique aura and every single thing about it felt unspeakably  _ wrong.  _

“He fed this time,” Magnus said after a moment, trying to pull himself back up before he was lost in the trace Malachi had left behind. He wasn’t sure how he knew but having now seen both scenes, he was sure of it. “Last time they were just drained of blood but this time he actually fed and Alec, he  _ enjoyed  _ it.” But there was something else that was bothering him about what they’d found. He stared at the bodies for a second longer, trying to see past the horror to the secret hidden below before he realized what was bothering him. “But...despite the fact that he fed… there’s too  _ much _ blood here. It’s like he wanted shock value. It’s staged.”

“Can you track him?” Alec asked, already sending Izzy a message mentally to let her know what they had found and what Magnus believed had happened. 

“This time? Without a doubt. He didn’t try to hide from us. The last scene was a statement...but this was a different kind of statement altogether. He wants to be found. He wanted someone to see this - it’s like he considers it a masterpiece. Outside of the basic wards on the building so that no one outside would get suspicious before he was ready, there’s nothing. No ‘Look Not’ spells, no glamor. He set it up and left it for us to find. He knows we’re on to him and he thinks it’s a game.” He twisted his hand and a trail of green snaked through the room. “Follow the yellow brick road...well, the green smoke, I suppose.”

Alec led the way through the empty building, archangel fire bristling under his skin, ready to react at a moment’s notice. The trail led them through what would have been offices in the back of the warehouse once before taking them through an emergency door and across to a smaller building tucked away at the back of the property. 

“Alec…” Magnus said, his eyes fixated on a curious path of red droplets that were following the same path as Malachi’s twisted aura, “I think someone escaped.” He grabbed the archangel and pulled him back before his hand could twist the doorknob. There was an underlying feel of fear and panic and a very weak secondary trail that couldn’t have come from Malachi.

“Magnus, are you sure?” He found it impossible to believe that a mere human could escape what they had seen back there, especially when the one who caused it was a very old, very crazed archangel.

“I’m positive. Something is alive in that shed and it’s terrified.”

Alec sent out a mental message to Jace and Izzy to have them at the ready. He wasn’t sure what they’d find but he wanted to be prepared - be it with a medical team or a forensic specialist (or even both, at this rate.)

“Alexander, stop.” Magnus grabbed the archangel’s arm and pulled him away from the door. 

“What, Magnus? You said something was alive, I’m going in.”

“None of the bodies in that room were older than twenty. It’s a kid. They’ve been through hell and they’re scared to death. I don’t think an angel is really who they want to see right now given the circumstances. Let me go in, at least at first.”

“No, it’s not safe, Magnus. We don’t know who or what is in there or if they’re infected by Malachi’s poison...I don’t want you getting hurt.” If something happened to Magnus, there wasn’t anyone here who could stop him from going Cold again and that thought alone scared him more than it should. 

“I’m no archangel but I’m not the High Warlock of Brooklyn for nothing. You don’t have to take care of me - I can look after myself, I have for the last few hundred years.”

“I’m not saying you can’t, Magnus. I  _ know  _ you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. If you can stand against an Archangel, you can certainly take care of whatever you’re about to find. I just...I want you safe. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”  _ I can’t see you get hurt,  _ he thought to himself,  _ it might just be my end. _

“I promise you’ll be the first to know if I get in over my head,” Magnus replied with a smile, squeezing his hand one final time before slipping into the shed and closing the door softly behind him.


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m not an archangel. I’m not even an angel - see? No wings. I’m a warlock. I’ve got magic, not feathers.”

Despite his assurance to Alec, Magnus did find himself worrying as he slipped inside the shed. Night had fallen a few hours ago and there weren’t enough street lights outside for the light to filter in so he did the next best thing - he summoned a ball of light to float above him. It wouldn’t be too bright (no use spooking the poor kid more than he already was) but it would be enough to allow him to make his way across the room without tripping over himself. 

“Hello?” He called out softly, trying to keep his voice gentle. “I’m not here to hurt you. I can tell you’re hurt and you’re scared but Malachi is gone, I promise.” There was silence in response. Magnus didn’t know what he had expected, not after the kid had been through what they had seen outside. A rustle from the back corner caught his attention and he changed directions slowly. 

“We’re trying to find him to stop him, we’re not here to join him. Let’s get you out of here and get you some help. Please?” The boy finally came into view and Magnus’ heart broke - he was huddled in the corner, knees to his chest and silent tears streaming down his face. He was clearly bleeding from at least one gash across his chest that Magnus could see and who knows what other injuries were hidden away. He knelt down a few steps from the boy, hands spread to show that he meant no harm.

“I’m not an archangel. I’m not even an angel - see? No wings. I’m a warlock. I’ve got magic, not feathers.”

“Magic? Like Harry Dresden?” The boy sniffled, pulling his knees closer to his chest.

Magnus’ mind hit the breaks and threw itself in reverse to try and keep up with the poor kid. He read a lot, sure, but he couldn’t say that he quite kept up with modern content. There was just  _ too much,  _ even for a four-hundred-year-old warlock. He’d heard some of the wolves discussing who would win in a fight - Harry or Magnus, though, so he’d been curious. “Sort of - I’d like to think I’ve got a much better sense of style and I don’t set the city on fire even half as much. Well, there was that one time in Venice but I still maintain that wasn’t my fault.” Clearly, it had been Ragnor’s. 

“We need to get you out of here. You probably need to see a doctor at the very least. I can see that you’re bleeding and who knows what else may have happened to you. It’s not like this shed is the pinnacle of cleanliness.” There was  _ something _ off about his aura, though. Magnus couldn’t quite put his finger on it...at least not in a dark and dirty shed with a crazy Archangel still on the loose and a pile of bodies that he was trying very, very hard not to think about.

“I’ve got some friends outside,” He started, inching closer but trying to keep his voice soft. “They’re angels but they’re the good guys, alright? Their names are Isabelle and Jace and  _ Alec _ …”

“Alec is the Archangel. The new one.” He wasn’t surprised the kid knew who Alec was. Sure, he was still very new for an Archangel, but his ascension was big news. Robert had ruled so long, everyone was bound to notice the change.

“He is but he’s… he’s kind. Just the other day I passed out in the middle of the New York Institute. No warning - just hit the floor. They took care of me. And they’ll take care of you too if you let them. They’ll take you back to the Institute, they’ll have Keir look you over and they’ll get you the help you need and if at  _ any _ point you feel uncomfortable, we will take you back to my place and give my friend Catarina a call - she’s a warlock, the best healer I know in fact, and she’s a nurse. But let them try, alright?”

The boy was silent for a few moments as he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down before pushing to his knees and trying to stand. Magnus grabbed his hand and gently helped him up. “I’m Magnus Bane. What’s your name?”

“Simon. Lewis. I was on my way to practice and -”

“Shh, it’s fine, Simon. There’s time for that later. Let’s get you outside, alright?” He let the boy lean most of his weight on him and they limped towards the door, Magnus’ ball of light following them closely. 

Once outside, he felt the tension break as people sprung into action. It was Isabelle who reached them first, waving Maia over to assist her with getting Simon some help. Once Magnus was free of his charge, Alec pulled him close. “Don’t do that to me again.” He hadn’t noticed the weather earlier, but since stepping inside a gentle rain had begun to fall.  _ Damn it. _

“I was barely in there five minutes,” Magnus replied tiredly. “And I’m sure you’ve got some sort of supersonic hearing. You knew I was fine or you would have been in there regardless of what I said.”

“You should have let me go in with you. Especially with Malachi still on the loose, it isn’t safe.” It was hard for Magnus to tell in the rain, but he was almost certain there was at least a few flecks of Angel Dust now on the shoulders of his jacket. 

“You and I both know that would have spooked the kid, Alexander. He’s been through enough tonight.”

“I thought you said I wasn’t scary.” For being a nearly all-powerful Archangel, Magnus had to admit the pout on Alec’s face was far more adorable than it should have been.,

“You aren’t, not to me at least. But to a normal person who has even a shred of self-preservation? Or a scared kid who has been through hell at the hands of another Archangel? You’re terrifying. Besides, Izzy is less threatening and pretty. He will be fine in her hands until we can get him back to Keir.”

“You’re saying I’m not pretty?”   


“You’re gorgeous, Angel, but I don’t think you’re the poor boy’s type.”

Alec hummed and rested his chin on Magnus’ forehead as his team continued to pull the place apart. “We need to find him soon. It’ll only get worse from here,” He said quietly. 

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll be finding him tonight. Not with the rain, at least. It’ll cleanse any trace of him magically but at least now we know what to look for.” It was a silver lining, as weak as it may be. “I’ll recognize his trail immediately if we run into it again. It might be worth seeing if we can get  _ anything _ from the box the hearts came in. I assume that’s still inside somewhere?”

“Tomorrow. Jia is staying in the city. We’ll go talk to her tomorrow. I believe she had her second hold on to it. There’s no reason for us to go rushing off tonight - we’ll take the boy back to the Institute. Malachi won’t be feeding again this evening.”

“Simon - is it just me or did you notice something off about him? Outside of the obvious injuries and trauma?” It was still bugging Magnus that he couldn’t figure out just why the boy’s aura was off. It wasn’t obviously  _ sick _ like Malachi’s was but there was still something not right about it.

“I think he’s half-turned, it feels like it at least, but exactly  _ what _ that means, we’ll have to let Keir decide. We’ll have to monitor him, if there’s any trace of Malachi’s poison in him, he can’t be allowed to live.”

“I told him we’d keep him safe,” Magnus replied, a storm brewing behind his eyes. “I don’t know what  _ safe _ means to angels but telling a child that you’ll get him help and then killing him is certainly not the case. If that’s going to be a problem, we will skip the Institute and take him to my place. I don’t go back on my promises.”

“And we will, if we can, but that poison... It can’t be allowed to continue. There are...things that you don’t know about the process of turning someone into a vampire, Magnus.” Alec knew he probably shouldn’t have gone into that, probably  _ still  _ shouldn’t, but as he’d learned recently he’d do anything for Magnus. The process of turning someone into a wolf or a vampire was still very, very much a secret that angelkind held on to and protected. 

“Then tell me. Let’s go back to the Institute, get the boy some help, and you can explain to me exactly what it is that I don’t know but that might have a scared  _ child’s _ life on the line.”

Alec sighed, aware that Magnus’ defenses were now up and there would be no winning this one. “Fine. Would you like to portal us, Izzy, and the boy back? Jace can stay here and handle the rest.”

Magnus didn’t respond, only opened a portal with a twist of his hand, and stepped through, not waiting to see if Alec would follow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to one of my other favorite book series. I think, personally, Magnus has Harry beat - at least in the early books!
> 
> SURPRISE SIMON!


	18. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What I’m going to tell you is something that we don’t share...with anyone,” He started, pulling Magnus into the living room and pointing towards a chair. Alec didn’t take a seat himself - this wasn’t the sort of information he felt like he could share sitting down. “It’s a secret that any other angel would be stripped of their feathers for at the bare minimum if they were caught sharing it. When I say you have to keep this to you - I mean it. I couldn’t stop the entire Cadre if they came after you, Magnus. I would try. I would fight them to my dying breath and I would fail.” He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair nervously. “What do you know of the process of turning someone?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Hopefully, this makes up for it.

Magnus had thankfully opened a portal on the steps of the Institute, though this was probably the one time Alec would have let his impossible magic use slide. He pushed open the door and found a stretcher waiting for them and Underhill by the door with a knowing smile. “Your sister called ahead - she was under the impression we needed to move quickly on this one.”

Alec nodded his thanks and took a step back as Izzy and Magnus helped the boy up and started wheeling him towards the medical wing. The warlock still hadn’t even looked his way and Alec reached for his arm with a sigh. “Magnus, please.” Magnus shook his head, a glare still present in his eyes. 

“Let me make sure Simon’s okay first, then we can talk.”

Alec knew that he should follow them. Keir would likely confirm his suspicions. Maybe the old angel could remember a time when someone had been half-turned before and could offer some insight into what had been the outcome previously. He  _ hoped _ , more than he’d hoped for anything in a very long time, that the boy would pull through and the toxin in his system wouldn’t be anything they’d have to worry about. He was just gaining Magnus’ trust...he didn’t want to start losing it now.

He watched them disappear around the corner before turning his attention back to Underhill. “Catch me up?” He was still an Archangel - chasing down Malachi and dealing with everything surrounding that situation was only part of his job. Hell, it wasn’t even a normal part of his job. He still had a duty to the rest of his territory - life couldn’t be put on hold while they chased the Bloodborne. The other angel followed him into his office, his speckled brown wings tense behind him. He shut the door and Alec let a hush fall over the room. 

“Thank you, by the way,” Alec said, shrugging off his jacket and dropping it haphazardly over the couch, “for looking after things while I handle all of...this…” He waved a hand in the general direction of the door. “I’ve put a lot on you rather quickly and that wasn’t fair of me. I appreciate it though, immensely. I certainly couldn’t do this without you here.”

“You don’t have to thank me. Those of us who are loyal to you will follow you to the end. You’re a good person, Alec, you always have been even if you haven’t seen it. I think the world could do with a little good right now, don’t you? Too long we’ve been complacent.” Andrew spoke freely and it had always been something that Alec appreciated. Even when he’d just been a spy, when he hadn’t been an Archangel, people had always been a little afraid of him. He’d known Andrew for a very long time though, Andrew hadn’t ever hesitated. 

“What’s been happening with my city while I’ve been otherwise preoccupied?”

“I’ve taken the liberty of informing the other Archangels of Jia’s discovery and what you found in that warehouse. As expected, they were generally...shocked. Children were involved, of course. There’s something to be said about the sort of monster that would harm a child. Valentine was...unusually interested. He normally doesn’t like to involve himself in matters he considers a waste of time.”

“Interested...how?” They’d already had some of their suspicions about the old Archangel. 

“He offered his  _ assistance,”  _ Andrew started, a look of disgust on his face, “I told him that we were handling the situation as it arose but we’d reach out if we felt it necessary. He implied that you were too young to handle an act of terrorism against your people.”

“Of course he did,” Alec rubbed his hand across his eyes, “That doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m sure the others just ignored it as we all tend to do when he opens his mouth?”

Andrew nodded, leaning his arms over the back of the armchair across from Alec and relaxing his wings. “Lydia arrived not too long ago. She made good time. She’s getting some sleep and she’ll meet with you soon.”

“And who did you send to take her place?”

“I haven’t, yet. We’re spread a little thin in the wake of your ascension. I was thinking about sending Raj.” Alec didn’t particularly  _ like _ Raj but he wasn’t a bad person, per say. His attitude just rubbed him the wrong way. 

“Raj is fine. At least, he’ll do for now. What else is going on?”

“The mundanes have noticed the increased activity in the city. They’re starting to get worried. All the sites - we’ve kept them under wraps but word still gets around. They might not know the specifics of what was found but they know that something was. Maybe have Jace and Izzy make an appearance in public and be their usual charming selves. If people see that it’s business as usual, that will help quell some of the fear.”

Underhill was right,  _ of course _ . Alec even knew he was right but damn it, the timing just sucked. He was  _ so tired. _ Was this the way the rest of his life was going to go now that he had ascended?

“Right, tomorrow maybe. Everyone will be busy tonight. I’ll...I’ll talk to them.” He was trying to consider what they needed to do...Jace was fond of low flybys and showing off. Izzy liked shopping at boutiques… maybe that? That was, unfortunately, going to have to be tomorrow’s problem. “Anything else?” Andrew shook his head and Alec sighed. “Right, keep me updated if anything changes. I don’t expect forensics to have anything tonight. And Andrew? Get some sleep yourself.”

After that, Alec made his way to the medical wing, trying to keep the anxiousness out of his posture. Magnus was still upset with him and that was something that didn’t sit right. He found that Simon was sleeping - that much, he expected. The kid had been through who knows what recently. He definitely needed the rest and recovery. Magnus was standing at the end of his bed, whispering to Keir. Izzy had likely returned to her lab to start her team on processing what they found. 

“Alec, it’s good of you to join us,” the older angel said with a tired smile as Alec slipped inside. They were all working themselves to death over this. They  _ all _ needed sleep. “Magnus said you thought he was half-turned?” He nodded as he joined them at the foot of the bed. He looked so absolutely  _ young  _ like this. Maybe Magnus was right...maybe there had to be another way. He’d grown too complacent with the way the angels had done things. It was refreshing to have an outside perspective from someone who wasn’t afraid to speak up. It almost made him feel human. Almost. He was well aware he was still a monster. All archangels were.

“I’d say you aren’t far off - unfortunately the damage has been done. I don’t think there’s any harm in just  _ monitoring  _ him and keeping an eye on whatever repercussions may come. He doesn’t have an easy road ahead of him but I think with the right support, he’ll be alright.” Just watch and see, that was all they could do now. This one even baffled the old healer. 

“Do you mind if I borrow Magnus?”

“Be my guest. Mr. Lewis will be sleeping for quite some time.”

“Join me upstairs?” Magnus simply nodded, a calm stubbornness in every line of his body. The trip to Alec’s private quarters was silent in a way he wasn’t sure it would have been just a few hours ago. Once the door was closed, he breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t much - there was still a crazy Archangel on the loose, a boy downstairs that was half-turned, a broken and healing long lost friend, far too many corpses… 

And one upset warlock in front of him. 

“What I’m going to tell you is something that we don’t share...with anyone,” He started, pulling Magnus into the living room and pointing towards a chair. Alec didn’t take a seat himself - this wasn’t the sort of information he felt like he could share sitting down. “It’s a secret that any other angel would be stripped of their feathers for at the bare minimum if they were caught sharing it. When I say you have to keep this to you - I mean it. I couldn’t stop the entire Cadre if they came after you, Magnus. I would try. I would fight them to my dying breath and I would fail.” He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair nervously. “What do you know of the process of turning someone?”

“There’s a selection process...for compatibility,” Magnus sounded confused, unsure of the knowledge he thought he knew based on Alec’s tone alone and Alec could understand why. The conversation likely seemed a little disconnected to someone who didn’t have all the facts yet and, of course, the angels were known for their secrecy. “That’s all anyone knows. It doesn’t always happen like that,” Magnus paused, thinking back to Raphael and the broken boy he’d come to know, “but it  _ should _ happen like that in a perfect world.”

“In a perfect world, angels wouldn’t develop a toxin in their body that would drive them to delirium if it wasn’t purged every so often,” Alec replied softly, pausing by the bay window, afraid to turn around to gage Magnus’ reaction. “In a perfect world, the turning process wouldn’t even be necessary to begin with.

“...What? Alexander, what are you talking about?” Alec felt, more than heard, Magnus get off the chair and join him by the window. There was a tense moment of silence before the warlock tentatively twined their fingers together and gave Alec’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

“That’s what the compatibility testing is for… because some people will take to it and others will not. Whereas introducing the toxin to a mundane makes some become wolves or vampires, others just die a cruel, agonizing death. We try to prevent that from happening so...testing. We’ve developed the process over the years to make it as smooth of a transition as possible but… there’s only so much that we can do.”

Magnus was silent and Alec watched as he ran through the new information that he’d just been given and the absolute weight behind it. “Malachi… that’s what drove him to bloodlust. He didn’t...purge it, as you say, and it corrupted him.”

“It could have happened to any angel...but those kind of records - The ones that say who is getting close to needing the toxin purged and the mundanes that are compatible with them? Those are kept by the territory’s archangel. So when it’s the archangel in question…” Alec’s voice trailed off, he didn’t need to finish the sentence. 

“There’s no one to catch it. The rest of the Cadre didn’t know until it was already too late.” Magnus finished, releasing Alec’s hand and dropping back into the chair. This was...big.  _ Huge. _ In the Mundanes’ eyes, angels were perfect beings. They  _ idolized _ them but what Alec had just shared proved that they had their flaws...incredibly dangerous ones at that. If the rest of the world knew that - the balance of society could be upended and while that certainly wasn’t a bad thing in some situations, right now was really not the ideal time for it.

Magnus felt faint under the sheer weight of the information Alec had shared with him. The archangel had said that other angels would at the very least lose their feathers for sharing this with anyone who wasn’t an angel - Magnus wouldn’t be surprised if a painful and agonizing death were the more likely outcome. They’d barely known each other for a few dreadful days but Alec was still trusting him with the angel’s greatest secret...and that was almost terrifying in and of itself.

“So when I say we need to watch Simon - I’m not doing it because I’m being cruel. He didn’t get a full dosage, certainly not enough to turn him. The toxin has to be administered by the same angel or it can cause painful complications. Since getting Malachi to dose him again is out of the question Simon i’s existing somewhere in the middle and it’s something we haven’t experienced before so we have no idea what the outcome will be. Because we  _ have _ to purge the toxin, it’s a process that we always finish because It’s beneficial to both of us. The mundanes get their immortality and the perks that come from being a wolf or a vampire and we...get to keep our sanity.”

The silence between them was heavy. Magnus realized that he had jumped to conclusions - far too used to the cruelty he’d been shown by Alec’s parents to recognize logic when it was staring him in the face with soft blue eyes. He closed his own eyes to ground himself with slow breaths and a count of five before he reopened his eyes to find the Archangel staring at him with concern. “I’m sorry for what I said. I could make excuses but I won’t. I thought the worst of you and that wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”

Alec smiled gently and reached across to squeeze his hand. “You don’t have to apologize. You have your reasons too. Just don’t tell anyone - I couldn’t take on another Archangel. The first time was hard enough. I got lucky.” He stood up and stretched, his joints popping in unpleasant ways that reminded him that he hadn’t worked out recently. He was tense and sore and he just needed to  _ relax. _ A glance back at Magnus revealed that the warlock had closed his eyes once more and he frowned. 

“Magnus, when was the last time you actually slept?”

Magnus went to open his mouth to protest and Alec held up a finger. “Passing out does not count as sleep...and I know you didn’t sleep when I did.” No, he’d instead apparently spent the time layering some heavier wards on Alec’s personal residence.

Magnus shrugged. “A few days ago? I’m fine...magic can help a little with that and coffee with the rest. I’m used to keeping long, weird hours. I don’t need to sleep as often as others.” Between his clients and managing his club, he could sometimes go a few days without sleep but...this was undoubtedly the longest he’d been awake in a while and he was starting to feel it, even if he didn’t want to admit it to himself.

Alec mentally groaned, cursing himself that he’d need to pay better attention to his people in the future. They’d been so pedal to the metal on hunting Malachi he’d practically been running his team into the ground. Magnus needed sleep, hell, they both did. Actual sleep and not a brief nap or meditation. “We know Malachi won’t strike again tonight. Simon will be sleeping for the foreseeable future and Izzy’s team won’t have anything until the morning. It’s still raining so there’s no use trying to track him and we can go visit Jia in the morning to try to get a trace off of her place. I say we both get some sleep - you’re welcome to a guest room as I said before. However…” He trailed off and briefly reconsidered if he was ready to make the suggestion that had been about to leave his lips. 

“However?” 

“However, I’d also like to extend the offer to stay here with me. Sleeping only, scout’s honor. I can personally say I have a very nice bed.”

Magnus laughed and Alec felt some of the tension leave his body. “I find it hard to believe you were ever a boy scout.”

“Maybe not. If I was I’d never tell. What do you say we get some rest?”

“I’d like that very much and I think I’ll gladly take you up on the offer to stay here, Alexander.”

“In that case, how about a bath? I don’t think either of us will rest easy with traces of what we found tonight still on our skin. I can also attest to the fact that I have a very nice bathtub too.” Alec asked, even as he was already steering them back towards his bedroom. 

“Lead the way,” Magnus replied with a smile, following his Archangel into the bathroom.

\-----------------

Magnus couldn’t honestly say that he'd considered the architectural needs of having wings before but stepping into Alec’s bathroom was like nothing he could even start to imagine. “I hate to be the one to inform you,” He started, still hesitating a few steps behind the archangel as he walked into and started reaching for the buttons at his side of his shirt. “But this is not a bathtub, this is a swimming pool.”

Alec laughed, dropping his shirt on a chair in the corner and starting on his pants. “ _ Wings, _ Magnus. It’s got to be large.” He slipped into the bath and let out a pleased sigh as the hot water hit his tired muscles. 

“And how is this already full and hot? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you didn’t need me for my magic.” 

“Not magic - just the best technology money can buy and an attentive staff. Are you going to join me?” He’d turned his head to glance at the warlock over his shoulder, raising his eyebrow in question.

Magnus quickly stripped off his clothes and climbed in. Alec’s wings were splayed behind him in a relaxed fashion, certainly taking up a large portion of the tub. He made sure to put as much distance as he could muster in between himself and the feathers, knowing that he wanted to avoid that social faux pas at all costs. He’d had permission to touch earlier, sure, but he didn’t want to assume that was a standing proposition. 

Alec watched him carefully with a playful expression. “I don’t bite.”

“And I don’t normally mind the biting, I just didn’t want to make assumptions. It’s not polite.” He scooted closer to Alec and frowned when the splash of blue across his feathers caught his eye. “Is that…?”

“From the other night on the roof? Yes,” Alec sighed and made a small show of raising the wing, water dripping as he did. “It’s not an injury and it doesn’t hurt. Frankly, Keir and I are both stumped. It could be a late change from my Ascension, I suppose. That happens sometimes. We’re keeping an eye on it but it doesn’t appear to be dangerous.”

“That’s where my magic hit you.” He ran his fingers gently over the blue feathers, a brief shock of electricity sending shivers through them both.

“To be fair, it was  _ my _ magic. You just defended yourself. Don’t worry, Magnus. I don’t think there’s anything wrong. They feel normal, they still work fine. There’s nothing to worry about it.”

“It’s a scar on the black and silver of your feathers.”

Alec smiled. “I like the blue - it reminds me of you.”

Once they had finished the bath, Magnus stepped out first, snapping his fingers and summoning a small stack of towels. Alec shot him a glare and he shrugged. “Sorry, my dear, I’m a creature of comfort.” He quickly toweled off his hair and wrapped the towel around his waist. Alec was starting to do the same thing, water dripping from his wings. “Would you like some help with that?” He asked, motioning towards the growing puddle behind the angel. “I’ve got it on good authority that magic is far quicker and more effective than any sort of towel or blow dryer.”

Alec glared at him but Magnus kept his innocent smile. “Fine, since we’re alone and it will let us get to bed quicker.” Magnus waved his hand and a wave of blue magic danced across the Archangel’s wings and he found them perfectly dry a second later. “Alright,” he agreed, “I will give the far quicker thing to you. Maybe there’s a reason to keep you around after all.”

“Oh, is that the only reason?” Another snap of his fingers summoned some sweatpants and a soft shirt from his wardrobe at home. “Go on, I’ll change and meet you in the bedroom.” Alec frowned but nodded and stepped out of the bathroom. Magnus took a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath.  _ What was he even doing? _ Sure, they were just going to get some sleep and  _ sure, _ Alec had proven himself to be a good person time and time again but if you had told the Magnus from two months ago he’d be in this position right now, he wouldn’t have believed it. 

Most of him still didn’t. 

He quickly got dressed, vanished the clothes he’d been wearing back to his loft, and checked his phone. He had a whole slew of text messages from Catarina, a couple from Ragnor and even one, shockingly, from Raphael. He quickly decided he didn’t have the energy (neither physical nor mental) to deal with whatever  _ that _ was going to be about, so he stuffed his phone into his pocket and stepped into the bedroom.

Alec had already pulled his own pair of sweatpants on but had forgone the shirt ( _ wings _ , Magnus supposed) and was frowning at himself and his tri-colored wing in the mirror. “Everything alright?” Magnus asked after admittedly admiring him for just a moment. “I thought you said it didn’t hurt?”

“It doesn’t,” Alec replied, dropping the wing and turning back to face him, “I just think the spot is getting bigger. That’s not a  _ bad _ thing, before you start worrying yourself, color change in wings isn’t that out of the ordinary. It’s just...interesting. That’s enough about that for today though...let’s get some sleep. I’m sure the city of New York can manage without us for one night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The whole process of turning the vampires is straight from the Guild Hunters books. Though this did come up FAR earlier than it did in there.


End file.
